KPK Opens Opportunity To Investigate Edhy Prabowo's Money Laundering Allegation

Edhy Prabowo (DOK KPK)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has opened an opportunity to investigate allegations of money laundering (TPPU) committed by former Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo.

This was conveyed in response to the insistence of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) which asked the KPK to immediately issue a warrant for an investigation into the alleged money laundering offense against the former Gerindra Party politician.

"KPK is very open to the possibility to continue to explore and develop cases other than corruption," said Acting Spokesperson for the KPK for Prevention Ipi Maryati to reporters, Friday, July 16.

However, the anti-corruption commission must first obtain sufficient evidence. "This is done, among other things, by first analyzing all the legal facts during the trial process which are included in the consideration of the judges' decision," he said.

As previously reported, ICW urged the KPK to immediately investigate the alleged money laundering committed by Edhy because the trial had already submitted preliminary evidence.

"For example, the mode of using other parties as property buyers to disguise assets resulting from crimes or even borrowing the accounts of third people to accept bribes," ICW researcher Kurnia Ramadhana told reporters.

However, Kurnia admitted that she was pessimistic that the KPK would investigate the alleged money laundering committed by Edhy. This is because some of the investigators who handled the bribery case for the export of fried shrimp or lobster seeds were deactivated after being declared unable to pass the National Insight Test Assessment (TWK) as a condition for changing employee status.

"However, back again, that's the public's expectation. However, the reality is that the investigators of the lobster seed export bribery case were fired through," he said.

One of the heads of the KPK Task Force (Kasatgas) who arrested Edhy was Novel Baswedan. He was one of 75 KPK employees who did not pass the test.

In this case, Edhy Prabowo is proven to have accepted a bribe of US$77 thousand from the Director of PT Dua Putra Perkasa Pratama (DPPP), Suharjito, in relation to the fried shrimp export permit.

In addition, he was also proven to have received Rp24,625,587,250 as part of the illegal profit from PT Aero Citra Kargo (ACK) related to the cost of sending fried fries cargo services from an exporter company.

For his actions, Edhy was later sentenced to 5 years in prison for the bribery case for the license to export lobster seeds or fry. In addition, he was also sentenced to a fine of Rp. 400 million, subsidiary to 6 months in prison.

The panel of judges also decided an additional sentence for Edhy Prabowo with the obligation to pay compensation for the corruption crimes he committed amounting to Rp9.68 billion and US$77 thousand. If the replacement money is not paid, Edhy Prabowo will have to serve an additional 2 years in prison

In addition, the panel of judges in their decision also revoked Edhy Prabowo's right to be elected in public (political) positions for three years.