KPK Opens Opportunity To Snatch PPU Regent Abdul Gafur With Money Laundering Articles

Ati Penajam Paser Utara deactivated Abdul Gafur Mas'ud /Photo: VOI

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) opens an opportunity to develop a bribery case that ensnared the Regent of North Penajam Paser (PPU) Abdul Gafur Mas'ud. The article on the crime of money laundering (TPPU) is open to be imposed on Abdul Gafur if he is proven to have concealed assets.

Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement, Ali Fikri, said the opportunity to apply the money laundering article against Abdul Gafur was very open. Moreover, recently, investigators are focusing on investigating the existence of assets in the name of other people.

However, the application of this article is not arbitrary. The anti-corruption commission must look for strong evidence so that the money laundering allegations are proven.

"If there are indications of elements of other criminal acts, in this case money laundering offenses, it is possible that later it will also be applied," Ali said in a written statement to reporters quoted on Monday, April 24.

Ali said the application of the money laundering criminal article was important. The goal is to optimize the efforts to recover assets or asset recovery carried out by the KPK.

"(The application of money laundering offences, ed) is part of an effort to optimize asset recovery," he said.

In examining these allegations, KPK investigators have asked for information from a number of witnesses regarding the alleged disguise of asset ownership by Abdul Gafur using the identity of another person.

One of them uses the name of the General Treasurer of the Balikpapan Democratic Party DPC, Nur Afifah Balqis, who is also a suspect in the bribery case for the procurement of goods and services and permits. This information was obtained by the KPK when examining two civil servants (PNS) Mohammad Syaiful and the private sector, Ruslan Sangadji.

For information, the anti-corruption commission has recently been developing cases and ensnaring bribers with an additional article, namely money laundering offenses. In fact, there have been 11 investigation warrants (Sprindik) to investigate allegations of money laundering over the past three years.

In 2020, the KPK has issued a sprindik to investigate allegations of laundering which is the development of bribery for the procurement of aircraft and aircraft engines from Airbus SAS and Roll-Royce PLC at PT Garuda Indonesia and gratuities related to consulting services for Insurance and Oil and Gas Reinsurance Business at PT Asuransi Jasa. Indonesia (Persero) in 2008-2012.

Then, in 2021 the TPPU Sprindik was issued regarding the development of road construction projects in Namrole City in 2015; cases of case management at the Supreme Court (MA) to cases related to the Selection of Positions in the Probolinggo Regency Government in 2021 with the suspects of husband and wife, Puput Tantriana Sari and Hasan Aminuddin.

Furthermore, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) also carried out the issuance of TPPU reports to develop bribery cases related to the 2016 and 2017 tax audits at the Directorate General of Taxes and corruption cases in the procurement of goods and services in North Hulu Sungai Regency, South Kalimantan in 2021-2022.

Finally, in 2022, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) issued a TPPU report related to the case of corruption in the procurement of goods and services at the Banjarnegara Regency Government in 2017-2018 with the suspect Banjarnegara Regent being inactive, Budhi Sarwono and Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi, being inactive.