Regarding Allegations Of Rp189 Trillion Of Gold Export-Import Money Laundering, Task Force: The Directorate General Of Taxes Takes Time To Analyze Data

Head of the TPPU Task Force Implementing Team Sugeng Purnomo virtual press conference through the Zoom application in Jakarta, Thursday (8/6/2023). (ANTARA/Genta Tenri Mawangi)

The Money Laundering Crime Task Force (TPPU) explained that the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) needed time to analyze data related to alleged money laundering offenses in export and import activities worth Rp189 trillion.

The Directorate General of Taxes is one of the agencies at the Ministry of Finance, together with the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, who participated in investigating suspicious transactions of hundreds of trillions of findings from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK).

"From the (Directorate General) of Taxes, actually they have entered deep enough to be able to obtain data related to transactions in their respective companies (who were involved) and friends from the Directorate General of Taxes also asked for additional data from the PPATK and PPATK to have submitted it. However, they directly (they) conveyed to me, sir, the data is a lot, so we need time to be able to research and analyze the data received and collected," said Head of the TPPU Task Force Implementation Team Sugeng Purnomo at the Kemenkopolhukam Office in Jakarta, Wednesday 27 September, confiscated by Antara.

The Directorate General of Taxes in the process of investigating the case by examining indications of criminal offenses in the field of taxation, while the Directorate General of Customs and Excise is looking for indications of criminal violations in the field of customs.

However, regarding the alleged case of money laundering offenses, the TPPU Task Force has not yet determined where the crime came from.

The TPPU Task Force also gave a deadline to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise to report the final examination until the first week of November 2023.

If developments are not found later, the TPPU Task Force opens up opportunities for the Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) of the National Police to participate in investigating the case.

"The allegation that from the results of (Ditjen) Customs and Excise there may be illegal mining (illegal mining), maybe there are other crimes we don't know, corruption, for example, we don't know either. So, if handled by police friends, (can) be more flexible because the crime is widespread, more," said Sugeng.

Therefore, the TPPU Task Force in a meeting at the Kemenkopolhukam Office, Jakarta, Wednesday, invited the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police to hear the data and the results of a temporary analysis from the Directorate General of Customs and Excise regarding the odd transaction.

"It is hoped that later, after we give the deadline (but) there will be no progress, then we will hand it over to Bareskrim friends. Then Bareskrim friends can get a complete picture of the case," said the Deputy for Legal and Human Rights Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

During the meeting, Bareskrim Polri was represented by the Deputy Head of Bareskrim Polri Inspector General Pol. Asep Edi Suheri.

The odd transaction related to gold imports worth Rp. 189 trillion is part of the 300 analysis report letters (LHA) and the examination report (LHP) for the 2009-2023 period issued by PPATK and then submitted to relevant agencies at the Ministry of Finance and law enforcement officials.

The total value of suspicious transactions in the 300 LHA and LHP letters reached Rp. 349 trillion. The findings of the transaction worth Rp. 189 trillion are currently one of 18 PPATK findings which are the work priorities of the TPPU Task Force until the end of 2023.

The Directorate General of Customs and Excise has so far collected information from 36 parties and went directly to four cities to investigate the case.

The Ministry of Finance has also taken legal steps regarding the case in the 2016-2017 period. However, the judge's decision until the reconsideration (PK) level in 2019 decided that there was no criminal element in the case.