Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government has formed a task force to monitor the investigation into allegations of money laundering (TPPU) involving suspicious transactions worth Rp349 trillion (US$23.8 billion) at the Ministry of Finance.

The formation of the task force is in accordance with the results of a national anti-money laundering committee meeting held on April 10, 2023, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said on Wednesday.

"So, I say that today (Wednesday), the government has formed the task force in question," Mahfud, who is also the chair of the National Coordinating Committee for the Prevention and Eradication of Money Laundering (KNPP TPPU), informed.

The task force will supervise and evaluate the handling of analysis results reports (LHA), inspection results reports (LHP), and information related to suspected money laundering.

The task force consists of a steering team, an implementing team, and a working group.

The steering team has three leaders from the TPPU Committee, namely Mahfud; Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and deputy chair of the committee, Airlangga Hartarto; and head of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), Ivan Yustiavandana, who is also the secretary of the committee.

The task force's implementation team has 10 members and is chaired by the deputy III for legal and human rights coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs.

Deputy V for coordination of security and public order has been appointed as its deputy chairperson, and the director of analysis and examination I at PPATK is the secretary.

Other members of the team comprise the director-general of taxes, director-general of customs and excise, inspector-general of the Ministry of Finance, junior attorney general for special crimes at the Attorney General's Office, deputy head of the Indonesian Police's Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim), deputy for counterintelligence at the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), and the deputy for analysis and examination at PPATK.

"In carrying out their duties, the implementing team will be assisted by a working group. There are two working groups," the minister said.

Mahfud informed that the task force would involve 12 experts on money laundering, corruption, the economy, customs, excise, and taxation in carrying out its duties.

However, according to applicable law, the 12 experts will not participate in handling the alleged money laundering case because they are not investigators.

“So, they will not go into the case, but will provide inputs and later will become consultants if there are problems that need special attention," the minister said.

The 12 experts are former heads of the PPATK Yunus Husein and Muhammad Yusuf; former leaders of KPK Laode M. Syarif and Mas Achmad Santosa; Danang Widoyoko from Transparency International Indonesia; and academics Faisal Basri (UI), Rimawan Pradiptyo (UGM), Wuri Handayani (UGM), Topo Santoso (UI), Gunadi (UI), Mutia Yani Rahman (UI), and Ningrum Natasya (USU).

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Translator: Gilang Galiartha, Sri Haryati
Editor: Anton Santoso
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