By: Alfisyah Kumalasari) *
The Center for Reporting and Analysis of Financial Transactions (PPATK) found allegations of fat accounts belonging to regional heads abroad. The money reaches Rp 50 billion which is saved in foreign currency in a casino account. The government was asked to firmly respond to the alleged existence of this fat account because it was suspected as a new mode of money laundering.
PPATK Head Kiagus Ahmad Badaruddin said the party had sniffed out the suspicious money circulation practices of the regional head. However, he did not reveal which regional head carried out the transaction. PPATK is still tracing the flow of money laundering (TPPU) funds in cases that ensnared former Kukar regents and other related parties.
Besides being found transactions worth Rp 50 billion in foreign casino accounts. PPATK also found activities in the use of proceeds from criminal acts to purchase luxury goods and gold bars abroad. Badaruddin revealed, in the period from January to November 2019, PPATK delivered 537 results of the analysis and 450 information. The results of the analysis were dominated by 211 corruption indications, followed by 73 indicated taxation and 46 related fraud.
Badaruddin claimed that his party was proactive in uncovering this case. He said that storing proceeds of crime in casino accounts is a new mode, where the money is planted in non-banking institutions abroad. He also reminded all parties not to try to save the proceeds of crime for the mode abroad. Because PPATK actually has sniffed it.
The Ministry of Home Affairs Director General of Regional Autonomy, Akmal Malik asserted, if the PPATK had sniffed out indications of violations of money laundering law, then it should have been reported to law enforcement officials. The overall results of the analysis have been submitted to investigators, both to the police, the prosecutor’s office, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Siber and State Code Agency, the Directorate General of Tax (DGT) and Customs and Excise.
Meanwhile, the results of inspections conducted by PPATK have reached 19. The details, 8 submitted to the KPK, 7 to the Police, 2 to the Attorney General’s Office and 1 to the BNN and 1 to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. At present, PPATK is still tracking the flow of funds related to indications of corruption in TPPU in the procurement of AW-101 Helicopters. In an effort to uncover the case, PPATK is collaborating with American FIU (FinCEN) and Italian FIU (UIF).
Revelation of this case certainly tarnished the good name of the leader himself, especially if the leader is a respected figure in the community, he should be able to provide a good example to the people. Meanwhile the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), will also explore the findings of the PPATK related to the amount of money in foreign currency deposited in the casino account which reached Rp 50 billion.
Saut Situmorang as Deputy Chairperson of the Corruption Eradication Commission said that the interfaith agency always coordinated well with PPATK. But he admitted that he could not talk much related to the alleged case. According to him the data provided by PPATK was only for intelligence purposes. On a different occasion, the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian plans to meet with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK). The aim is to confirm information related to a number of regional heads who have funds in the form of foreign currency with a nominal equivalent of Rp 50 billion in foreign casino game accounts.
He also admitted that he would explore further PPATK information to find out the validity of the facts. Tito also invited law enforcement agencies to participate in investigating the information. Disclosure of this case certainly requires the expertise of accountants in tracing and dismantling the practice of disguising the crime of money laundering, so that it will be very helpful in efforts to uncover the ‘hot fund’ flow of officials and regional heads.
In this case, of course we have been presented with a report that officials have ‘creativity’ in saving their crime money abroad. It may be that the heads of regions have learned that the central government has established cooperation with various international banks in almost all over the world, therefore the money is deposited in the casino account of a place which of course is rarely found in Indonesia.
) * The author is a social political observer