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The Finance Ministry's inspector general and anti-money
laundering watchdog the Financial Report and Analysis Center (PPATK)
have agreed to step up efforts to confront corruption in the ministry.
Under the memorandum of understanding signed in Jakarta Friday, the
Finance Ministry and PPATK will improve first-step detection and
prevention of any indicated acts of corruption within the ministry by
sharing information about any suspicious financial transactions
relating to officials, ministry inspector general Permana Agung said.
"The reporting and recording of such suspicious transactions are
important if we want to eradicate corruption -- to collect the
preliminary evidence needed to indict any indicated acts of graft," he
said.
The MoU was signed by Permana and PPATK head Yunus Husein.
It is expected to strengthen the inspector's investigation bureau,
formed in 2004, and follow similar agreements already signed between
the Finance Ministry's directorate generals and the PPATK.
The MoU also adds to cross-cooperation already existing with the
Corruption Eradication Commission, the Supreme Audit Agency, Bank
Indonesia, the National Police, and the Attorney General's Office.
Yunus said he expected the MoU would further help the efforts of
authorities to prevent money laundering, particularly of funds coming
from corruption.
"Even criminals work together -- that's why it's called organized crime
-- so why don't the authorities cooperate as well?" he said.
Yunus said that 178 of the 433 cases PPATK had submitted to law
enforcers for follow up being related to corruption. The total amount
of money involved added up to around Rp 100 trillion.
The PPATK had, as of last year since its establishment in 2002,
received 6,793 suspicious transaction reports and nearly 2 million
transactions above Rp 500 million from the financial sector, as well as
1,432 cash transactions above Rp 100 million from the customs.
Perama said the Finance Ministry's tax office, customs office and the
treasury directorate general were the areas of the ministry with the
greatest records of corruption.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who witnessed Friday's MoU
signing said the new cooperation with PPATK was not aimed at finding a
scapegoat for corruption within the ministry, but to improve the
ministry's overall performance.
"What's important is building trust within and with PPATK, so we can
all work better in the future," she said.
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