Jokowi Orders Law Enforcers to Examine Alleged Illegal Campaign Funds

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi instructed law enforcement agencies to follow up on the findings of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) regarding illegal campaign funds. He stressed that illegal funds coming out ahead of the 2024 election must be investigated thoroughly.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) had earlier received the PPATK’s letter about the discovery of suspicious transactions amounting to Rp500 billion related to the election. In its statement, the PPATK said these transactions had the potential to be used to buy votes, which is harmful to democracy.

“Everything must be done according to the existing rules,” Jokowi said in Baranangsiang, Bogor City, on Tuesday, Dec. 19. “According to the rules, there will be legal procedures.”

PPATK had tracked suspicious transactions in over 6,000 accounts of election participants and party administrators worth trillions of rupiah. The money was suspected to have come from criminal activities, such as illegal mining, forest encroachment, wildlife smuggling, and money laundering.

PPATK also uncovered campaign funds derived from the misuse of Bank Perkreditan Rakyat’s (BPR) credit facilities in a region of Central Java. Some of the money was suspected to have gone to Koperasi Garudayaksa Nusantara (KGN), which was initiated by presidential candidate number 2 Prabowo Subianto.

Sudaryono, the chairman of Gerindra Central Java and secretary of KGN, rebutted the allegation. “It is a very serious slander that KGN and PT Boga Halal Nusantara and PT Panganjaya Halal Nusantara received funds from BPR Jepara Artha,” he said.

LINDA NOVI TRIANITA | IMAM HAMDI | IHSAN RELIUBUN

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