Record Victims Of Illegal Investment EDCCash Touch 52 Thousand, Police Headquarters Still Opens Complaints Command

JAKARTA - The Directorate of Special Economic Crimes (Dit Tipideksus) of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police said it was still opening a complaint post for victims of illegal EDCCash investments after handing over six suspects along with evidence of criminal cases to the Public Prosecutor (JPU).

"The complaint service is still open, until now there are three people who made police reports, 60 people who were witnesses, and 1,973 people who complained at the complaint service," said Wadir Tipideksus Bareskrim Polri Kombes Whisnu Hermawan when confirmed in Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, August 19.

In the case of fraud, embezzlement and money laundering by six EDCCash suspects, the police estimate that 52 thousand victims were harmed. The data comes from the number of members who have EDCCash crypto application accounts.

Kanit I Subdit V Dirtipideksus Bareskrim Polri Kompol Samian said that at the beginning of the investigation the number of EDCCash members reached 57,000 people spread across a number of areas in the country.

"In the application, there are around 52 thousand members who enter, if the information obtained was initially 57 thousand, maybe there are some members who have closed their accounts," said Samian.

Investigators have listed the number of victims who reported, as well as those who were examined and who made complaints in the case report. However, the Police still open the complaint post for people who feel aggrieved by the EDCCash.

According to Samian, EDCCash in recruiting members made many programs such as social gathering, then car ownership program and so on.

"So those who join the program and participate become victims but do not necessarily become members, so it is possible that the number of people who are harmed is above that number," he said.

Investigators also estimate that there are people who are harmed in this case who participate in EDCCash 'leader' programs but are not yet members. For example, in the car program, participants are asked to pay a nominal amount of several million every month, then in the 13th month a lottery will be drawn who the winner will get a car.

Then, said Samian, when getting a car, program participants must register as members. Thus, those who participate in the EDCCash program are not necessarily registered members of the EDCCash crypto application.

"But with the EDCCash case, it has been revealed, the programs have all stopped, the people who join this program are certainly at a loss, those who have paid millions of dollars for several months finally have no end, the program has no clarity," said Samian.

For that, said Samian, his party welcomes people who have been harmed by EDCCash to report to the nearest police center in their area. Because the EDCCash complaint post is located at the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police, reports that come into the area will be accommodated and included in the resolution of this case.

In addition, the disproportionate number of victims reporting to the number of members registered with EDCCash, according to Samian, could be due to several factors, namely that members are outside Jabodetabek, and the possibility of these members paying a small nominal amount.

"It is conveyed to the public who have objections, they can communicate between them, together make local reports, later whether the report is withdrawn to Headquarters or transferred. If there are victims who feel objections, they can make a report at the nearest police station," he said.

Previously, the attorney for the suspect EDCCash denied the Police's statement regarding the number of victims who were harmed in the EDCCash case as many as 52 thousand people.

Abdullah Al Katiri as the attorney for suspects AY and S said that most of the partners who joined EDCCash did not feel disadvantaged.

The six suspects, namely AY as the main leader of EDCCash, S is the wife of AY acting as an EDCCash Exchanger starting August 2020.

Next, JBA acts as an EDCCash application maker and as an EDCCash Exchanger from August 2018 to August 2020.

The suspects are charged with Article 105 and/or Article 106 of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 7 of 2014 concerning Trade, Article 28 Paragraph 1 Jo. Article 45A paragraph 1 and Article 36 Jo. Article 50 paragraph 2 of Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Electronic Transaction Information, criminal acts of fraud/fraud Article 378 of the Criminal Code Jo. embezzlement Article 372 of the Criminal Code.

The six suspects were also charged with money laundering (TPPU/Money Laundering) Article 3, Article 4, Article 5 and Article 6 of Law Number 8 of 2010 concerning Prevention and Eradication of the Crime of Money Laundering.