Mahfud MD: The Suspicious Transaction Case Of IDR 189 Trillion Related To Gold Exportation Has Not Been Completed

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD conveyed that the TPPU and PPATK Task Force in his latest report showed that the suspicious transaction case of IDR 189 trillion related to gold exportation involving agencies at the Ministry of Finance was still unfinished.

"The latest report from PPATK, from the Task Force (TPPU) meeting three days ago at the PPATK Office, Rp. 189 trillion was made, if the Customs and Tax versions were completed, there would be no problem. In the last meeting, (it) was admitted to be problematic and unfinished," said Mahfud MD during a press conference conveying several findings of the TPPU Task Force in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which was broadcast virtually as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, June 8.

Mahfud MD, Head of the Steering Team for the Money Laundering Crime Task Force (TPPU Task Force), gave a signal that the examination team from the TPPU Task Force found that there was a possible origin of the crime in the case.

"It is possible that a criminal act will be found, but as if no original crime has been found, it needs to be calculated administratively from the money, because indeed the original criminal denomination already exists when we broadcast to the public as part of openness," said Mahfud MD.

The Head of the TPPU Task Force Implementing Team, Sugeng Purnomo, said that the Rp189 trillion transaction case is currently still at the investigation stage.

"For one letter that has been carried out at the investigation stage, and this has not been completed, the value is Rp. 189 trillion," said Sugeng Purnomo, who is also the Deputy for Law and Human Rights at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

Related to that, Sugeng conveyed that there are plans to make a team consisting of the TPPU Task Force, the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) of the Ministry of Finance, and law enforcement officials when the investigation process later leads to indications of a criminal act of origin.

"Our friends from the Directorate General of Customs and Excise ask for support from this Task Force if it turns out that in the investigation that was carried out, it was found that there was a criminal act of origin that was not under the authority of Customs and Excise friends to carry out investigations. Now this is the question and ask for support," he said.

"Of course, we will provide support if, for example, there are difficulties, we will consider forming a team together if a criminal act is found as long as it is not the authority of Customs friends, the institution that has the authority can immediately take over (over)," said the Head of the TPPU Task Force Implementation Team.

Suspicious transactions of IDR 189 trillion are part of the findings of odd transactions of IDR 349 trillion at the Ministry of Finance as reported by PPATK from 2009 to 2023.

Regarding these findings, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs last month formed a TPPU Task Force to investigate the odd transaction.

Regarding the transaction of IDR 189 trillion, Mahfud MD once conveyed this during a meeting with Commission III of the DPR RI on March 29, 2023. The transaction was related to gold exportation involving one of the private companies.

Legal steps have actually been taken by the Ministry of Finance regarding the case in the 2016'2017 period. However, the decision of the panel of judges until the PK level in 2019 decided that there was no criminal element in the case.