Sukanto Tanoto And Money Laundry

PPATK Traces Flow of Asian Agri Funds


TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Financial Transactions Reporting and Analysis Center (PPATK) is currently tracing the flow of funds from the Asian Agri Group in relation to the disclosure of the tax embezzlement case involving this business group.

However, according to Yunus Husein, PPATK Head, the tracing has not yet been finished.

“It's still in process. It's a little difficult because the information must come from abroad,” Yunus told Tempo.

He went on to say that PPATK was already coordinating with the Tax Directorate General and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Regarding money laundering allegations, Tax Director General Darmin Nasution could not confirm whether elements of this criminal act existed or not.

“The authority is in PPATK's hands. If PPATK sees there were alleged money laundering crimes, then they can coordinate with authorized legal officers,” said Darmin on a separate occasion.


In addition to PPATK, according to Darmin, tax officials have been cooperating with KPK and the police from the beginning.

This is because the officers could not handle certain matters including investigation into Sukanto Tanoto's business group office in Hong Kong.

The tax officials do not yet have a mutual legal assistance agreement with Hong Kong.

When asked for confirmation last night (20/5), Asian Agri's Corporate Communication Manager, Rudi Victor Sinaga, said that the management was preparing a legal team from inside the company as well as from the private sector to accompany the company's directors who have been declared as suspects of tax embezzlement by the Tax Directorate General.

According to Rudi, Asian Agri still considers the case to be a matter of a case of differences in calculations in filing annual tax returns.

“Tax calculations can result more or less. This is common. If some amount hasn't been paid, we can talk about it,” he said.