The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is increasingly going after money laundering in graft cases. The KPK recently named the disgraced Regent of Kutai Kartanegara Rita Widyasari and the Regent of Nganjuk Taufiqurrahman as suspects of money laundering separate from their graft case.

With the help of the Kutai Kertanegara Police, the KPK investigators raided the Kutai Kertanegara (Kukar) Regent Office in the morning of September 26, 2017. The incident led to reports that the Regent of Kukar was ensnared in a Sting Operation (OTT). On September 28, 2017, the KPK announced the name of the three suspects of the bribery case including the Regent of Kutai Kertanegara Rita Widyasari (Golkar). 

The Deputy Chief Basaria Panjaitan said that Rita received bribes from one Hery Susanto Gun (a.k.a Abun) in exchange for her recommendation for plantation license for PT Sawit Golden Prima, owned by Abun. The license is needed to open the land in the Kupang Baru village in Muara Kaman back in July-August 2010. After giving her recommendation and issuing the license, Rita received a sum of Rp6 billion.

Apart from that, Rita together with one Khairudin (a.k.a Khoi), received US$775,000 or equivalent to Rp6.97 billion in bribes related to several other projects, including the construction of the Citra Gading shopping mall. The KPK confiscated four luxury cars from Rita’s possession although all cars are registered on behalf of others. Thus the KPK named Rita, Abun and Khoi as suspects.

On January 16, 2018, the KPK once again named Rita and Khoi as suspects, but this time of laundering over Rp430 billion of graft proceeds. The money were used for buying properties, luxury cars, and brand names bags.

Related to the disgraced Regent of Nganjuk Taufiqurrahman, the KPK conducted a Sting Operation simultaneously in Nganjuk and Jakarta on October 25, 2017. The KPK caught Taufiqurrahman (PDI-P), his wife and dozens of other people. Taufiq allegedly received bribes of Rp2 billion from two construction companies related to infrastructure projects over the period of 2015 to 2017.  On January 8, 2018, the KPK named Taufiq as a suspect of money laundering after finding sufficient evidence. The KPK had seized several cars and a plot of land in Nganjuk related to this new investigation.

The KPK admitted that they have not been handling many money laundering investigations. Since last year, only five cases have been developed into money laundering investigations. And so far only about Rp188 billion has been put into the state treasury in the form of Non-Tax State Revenues (PNBP) as a result of the handling of cases, including incomes from the proceeds of confiscated goods. The KPK said they are now trying to optimize the recovery of assets from corruption cases through Asset Tracking units, Evidence Management and Confiscated (Labuksi) and this is why the investigation into money laundering is important.

And perhaps that is why the KPK not only developed the recent investigation but also continue the older investigations into money laundering. For example, the case implicating the brother of the disgraced Governor of Banten Ratu Atut Chosiyah one Tubagus Chaeri Wardana. After having been postponed for almost a year, the KPK is continuing their investigation.

At the end of 2016, Wawan was again sentenced to 18 months in prison for his involvement in the case of the Banten province’s procurement of medical equipment for the fiscal year of 2011, and another similar procurement for the fiscal year of 2013. Wawan was the owner of the company (PT Bali Pasifik Pragama) that handled the project. But the sentence caused confusion because it was too light, while the other parties in the case including several civil servants, were sentenced to over 5 years in prison.

The KPK started investigating the allegation of money laundering in May 2016. But it was somehow halted. On November 14, 2017, after the South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany (Ririn) visited the KPK building, it was revealed that the investigation was ongoing. In the case of money laundering, so far we know that Wawan allegedly has over 300 companies.

The other older case is the case of bribery involving the former Registrar of the North Jakarta District Court Rohadi. Rohadi was caught on June 15, 2016 after he had just received a bribe from Saipul Jamil’s legal counsel Bertha Natalia Kariman in the amount of Rp250 million. Saipul Jamil is a celebrity who was involved in the case of sexual assault. In November 2017, Rohadi was deemed guilty of corruption, and was punished with 7 years imprisonment plus a fine of Rp300 million subsidiary 3 months in prison.

The prosecutors reveal that Rohadi owned a lot of properties, including several vessels and also a hospital. That is why the KPK began investigating money laundering in connection to this case. The investigation continued on January 16, 2018. Rohadi mentioned the involvement of the panel of judges that examined Saipul Jamil’s case. The problem is, in Rohadi’s verdict, the panel of judges said they found no evidence to prove that the panel of judges on Saipul Jamil’s trial were also involved in receiving bribes. But Rohadi begged to differ.

By Pradnya Paramitha

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