Mahfud MD Asks The Police To Accelerate Investigating Allegations Of Panji Gumilang TPPU

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD (two left) gave information to the media after a meeting with several ministers and West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil/ANTARA

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD asked the National Police to speed up the investigation into the alleged crime of money laundering (TPPU) led by Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School, Panji Gumilang. Mahfud asked that the investigation into the alleged money laundering offense run in parallel to other legal processes involving Panji Gumilang. “ Special criminal acts such as money laundering, if general crimes such as forgery, embezzlement, annexation, and various transactions. There are also special crimes other than money laundering, direct corruption, perhaps because it involves misuse of state funds so that it is accelerated, parallel to the one currently running,” said Mahfud MD after chairing a meeting related to Al Zaytun at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, August 3. Mahfud assessed that the police could speed up the investigation because the initial reports and evidence had been submitted by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Police. Previously, Mahfud assessed that the analysis report (LHA) and the PPATK examination report (LHP) regarding the ownership of Panji Gumilang assets could make it easier for the National Police to investigate the alleged TPPU Leadership of the Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School. The “Kemenkopolhukam as the Chair of the TPPU Committee prefers to direct money laundering because it is evidence that we legally have. That's a problem of claims on foundation land and suspicious accounts. Therefore, PPATK has produced an analysis that the alleged money laundering offenses in both problems exist, because this is an analysis, then followed up with an examination. From the results of the examination to LA (LHA), to LP (LHP), the analysis report then the examination report, then the police will do it more easily,” said Mahfud MD. On a different occasion, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police last month announced that investigators had found allegations of money laundering offenses in the use and management of Panji Gumilang's assets. Head of the Public Information Bureau (Karopenmas) of the Public Relations Division of the National Police Brigadier General Pol. Ahmad Ramadhan explained that the allegations were based on PPATK analysis and money laundering experts. " “ The results of the coordination and analysis of the transaction are obtained allegations of abuse indicated as non-criminal related to foundations, criminal acts of embezzlement, corruption of boss funds to criminal acts related to zakat management by Brother PG (Panji Gumilang),” Ramadhan said. The police, Ramadhan continued, have interviewed three witnesses and coordinated with officials at the Ministry of Religion and other relevant agencies to investigate allegations of misuse of school operational assistance funds (BOS) and zakat. So far, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police has named Panji Gumilang as a suspect in a blasphemy case. He was detained by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Police on Wednesday (2/8). "After being named a brother of PG (Panji Gumilang) as a suspect on August 1, 2023, investigators have examined Brother PG as a suspect," said Head of the Public Information Bureau (Karopenmas) of the Public Relations Division of the National Police Headquarters Brigadier General Pol. Ahmad Ramadhan in Jakarta, Wednesday. He explained that Panji's detention lasted for 20 days from August 2, 2023 to August 21, 2023. "Detention at the Bareskrim Detention Center for 20 days until August 21, 2023," said Ramadhan. The police charged Panji Gumilang with multiple articles, namely Article 14 paragraph (1) of Law Number 1 of 1946 concerning Criminal Law Regulations which carries a penalty of 10 years in prison. Then, Article 45 a paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 28 paragraph (2) of Law Number 19 of 2016 concerning Amendments to Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) which carries a penalty of 6 years in prison, plus Article 156 a of the Criminal Code which carries a threat of 5 years in prison.