PPATK's Findings of Suspected Election-Related Financial Transactions
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20 January 2024 20:50 WIB
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.
