TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has detected many suspicious financial transactions since last year until early January this year. Most of them are related to the presidential and legislative elections with the rest to corruption, gambling, narcotics and illegal logging.

The PPATK discovered, for example, fund inflows from overseas reaching Rp7.7 trillion (around US$495 million) and outflows of Rp5.8 trillion (US$373 million) to foreign countries. There are also transactions worth around Rp8.3 trillion (US$534 million) from legislative candidates embroiled in graft and gambling cases, and the total value of suspicious election-related funds to Rp51.4 trillion (US$3.3 billion).

PPATK Chief Ivan Yustiavandana has reported the findings to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the police, the Attorney General’s Office and the General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). “We are trying to prevent money laundering crimes and terrorism financing that may be potentially linked to politics,” Ivan told Tempo.

The interview with Ivan took place three times, in early November 2023, on December 23 and on Friday, January 12. Besides highlighting suspicious transactions, Ivan also explained how Indonesia endeavored to become a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental anti-money laundering task force, as well as the importance of the Asset Confiscation Bill that was being deliberated at the House of Representatives.

Who are the politicians caught in suspicious transactions?

Names cannot be specified because they are protected by law under the principles of confidentiality. What we are doing is supporting the General Election Commission (KPU) and Bawaslu to implement the General Election Law, and also the memorandum of understanding between the PPATK and KPU as well as Bawaslu. We are not aiming at political substance. We are trying to prevent and eradicate money laundering crimes and terrorism funding, the potentials for which also exist in political contestation.

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Has the number risen ahead of the elections?

The indicators are the names of parties as well as their transaction profiles that have taken significant upward trends within a short period of time and beyond their habits. We uphold the presumption of innocence principle. That’s why we handed over (the data) to Bawaslu for follow-up considering that the KPU reported to us the parties who made these transactions. Our announcement is aggregate and general in nature and only an indication in line with the statistics based on the data we received.

The PPATK has reported 11 cases to Bawaslu. Are these suspicious transactions related to the general elections only?

All types of suspected crimes. According to the analysis result, there are suspected involvement of parties in certain crimes. So, it is suspected that there had been criminal activities by parties directly or indirectly related to the elections. Meanwhile, the information given to Bawaslu is related to suspected election violations or crimes. Everything is within the corridor of the presumption of innocence. Therefore, we only provided the statistics as it is not possible for us to reveal (the identities of) the parties involved.

What is PPATK’s rationale for releasing the data?

The PPATK does not have any motive whatsoever. We are just demonstrating to the public our accountability in carrying out our duties, functions and authority. The suspicious transactions related to the elections were reported in the 2023 PPATK Performance Reflection, a routine event conducted at the end or the beginning of each year. The PPATK as a public institution has the obligation to inform the public about its activities and performance. The data and information are in the forms of statistics and aggregates, or general in nature and do not mention any names. The PPATK has submitted some of these data and information to the related authorities for follow-up actions.

How could Indonesia become part of the FATF?

The FATF is the highest global anti-money laundering community. Below that are those in the Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and so on.

Why was the application filed only in 2018?

We wanted to become a FATF member right away but it wasn’t allowed when we were on blacklist. While on the blacklist, like Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Indonesian banks are not allowed to do transactions with foreign countries. North Korea is still on the blacklist. In 2002, we were on the non-cooperative country status. In 2014, we were still in the same rank as Iran, Iraq and Myanmar. We eventually managed to get off that list.

Read the Full Interview in Tempo English Magazine