KPK Unveils Offshore Countries' Role in Money Laundering

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Deputy Chief of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Nurul Ghufron mentioned that offshore countries are often used for financial crimes and money laundering, especially by corruptors. Offshore countries offer relaxed regulations and asset protection that corruptors exploit to hide their criminal proceeds. 

"The regulations in these countries tend to be less transparent, making it easier for financial criminals to transfer corruption assets overseas," said Nurul Ghufron in an official statement, on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

Nurul Ghufron conveyed the statement during a workshop for KPK employees on tackling money laundering cases. The workshop, which addressed the theme "Money Laundering through Banking Services and Companies in Offshore Countries," was held at the KPK Building C1, South Jakarta, in cooperation with the United States OPDAT (Overseas Prosecutorial Assistance and Training).

On that occasion, Ghufron said KPK emphasized the necessity for law enforcement officers to understand and address these risks. According to him, from 2004 to 2023, KPK has tackled 58 money laundering cases with eight of them in 2023.

Despite claiming that it’s relatively a small figure, Nurul Ghufron stressed that KPK strives to improve the handling of these cases, especially regarding asset recovery. "KPK is determined to prioritize asset recovery from perpetrators of corruption, both individuals and corporations," he said.

Ghufron also emphasized the significance of international collaboration in eradicating cross-border corruption. KPK hopes the collaboration with OPDAT can strengthen the anti-corruption agency's ability to handle money laundering and asset recovery cases.

Tomika Patterson, Permanent Legal Advisor to the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) of OPDAT, welcomed this collaboration and emphasized the importance of building international connections and cooperation in corruption eradication. Patterson also encouraged KPK to expand global collaboration through Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) for the effective eradication of cross-border corruption. 

MUTIA YUANTISYA

Editor’s Choice: Indonesia's KPK Names 100 Corruption Suspects in First Half of 2024  

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News