JAKARTA. National Police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, who has been named a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), allegedly involved his young son in managing money he may have illicitly amassed from various sources, some documents have revealed. A document with the header “top secret” detailed the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre’s (PPATK) 2008 analysis on suspicious transactions in Budi’s four bank accounts in one of the country’s prominent banks between 2005 and 2008. One of the accounts was closed in March 2006. Transactions in the accounts, as well as an account under the name Herviano Widyatama — Budi’s son — who at that time was still 19 years old, were detailed, showing date, type and the amount of each transaction made in the period of time. The PPATK, according to the document, highlighted numerous multi-billion cash transactions. On Aug. 2, 2005, for example, Budi opened an account and deposited Rp 14 billion (US$1.1 million) in cash, followed by another cash deposit amounting to Rp 15 billion on the same day. Dozens of other transactions, both deposits and withdrawals, involved cash between Rp 250 million and Rp 5 billion. Total transfers from unknown parties were worth Rp 95 billion. Budi’s accounts also recorded transfers with Herviano’s account. Numerous parties involved in the transactions of Budi’s accounts also made transactions with Herviano’s account. Herviano, or Vinno, is known as a professional singer who also runs hotel businesses. As of June 10, 2008, the balances of Budi’s three accounts totaled Rp 6.4 billion, while Herviano had Rp 30.2 billion in his account. Herviano’s account was opened on Aug. 1, 2005, a day before one of Budi’s account was opened. “There is a hypothesis based on the transactions that [Budi] has used his son’s account to disguise funds indicated to be not obtained from his income as a police officer,” the document states. The basic monthly salary for a three-star general like Budi, who has been a police officer since 1983, is Rp 5.33 million, according to Government Regulation 35/2014. Additional income such as allowances and honorariums can increase the figure to Rp 50 million. Budi, who formerly served as adjutant to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, submitted his official wealth report (LHKPN) in 2013, where he claimed he had assets worth Rp 21.5 billion. In the report, however, Budi claimed his deposits and other cash-equal assets were only worth Rp 383.5 million. The document also states that Budi was mentioned in the PPATK’s previous analysis of suspicious transactions involving Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Trimedya Panjaitan. In February 2006, when he was chairman of House of Representatives’ commission III overseeing legal and human rights affairs, Trimedya was said to have received 10 checks worth Rp 250 million procured by Budi, according to the document. Contacted by The Jakarta Post on Sunday, Trimedya denied the report. “It is simply not true and is false information,” he said. The lawmaker also said he had never been questioned by the authorities over alleged suspicious financial transactions involving him. Budi has also repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to his bank accounts, saying that he “made the money from legal businesses”. Among companies recorded to have made transactions with Budi and Herviano’s accounts is property firm PT Masindo Lintas Pratama. In November 2006, the company transferred Rp 1.5 billion to Herviano’s account amid disputes involving customers of the Hollywood Residence apartment developed by Masindo. Months later, the customers filed a police report over Masindo’s alleged embezzlement of around Rp 200 billion. It is not known if the report has been investigated. Outgoing National Police chief Gen. Sutarman has said Budi’s accounts have been clarified and declared “clean”.
Budi ‘used son’ to launder dirty money
JAKARTA. National Police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, who has been named a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), allegedly involved his young son in managing money he may have illicitly amassed from various sources, some documents have revealed. A document with the header “top secret” detailed the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre’s (PPATK) 2008 analysis on suspicious transactions in Budi’s four bank accounts in one of the country’s prominent banks between 2005 and 2008. One of the accounts was closed in March 2006. Transactions in the accounts, as well as an account under the name Herviano Widyatama — Budi’s son — who at that time was still 19 years old, were detailed, showing date, type and the amount of each transaction made in the period of time. The PPATK, according to the document, highlighted numerous multi-billion cash transactions. On Aug. 2, 2005, for example, Budi opened an account and deposited Rp 14 billion (US$1.1 million) in cash, followed by another cash deposit amounting to Rp 15 billion on the same day. Dozens of other transactions, both deposits and withdrawals, involved cash between Rp 250 million and Rp 5 billion. Total transfers from unknown parties were worth Rp 95 billion. Budi’s accounts also recorded transfers with Herviano’s account. Numerous parties involved in the transactions of Budi’s accounts also made transactions with Herviano’s account. Herviano, or Vinno, is known as a professional singer who also runs hotel businesses. As of June 10, 2008, the balances of Budi’s three accounts totaled Rp 6.4 billion, while Herviano had Rp 30.2 billion in his account. Herviano’s account was opened on Aug. 1, 2005, a day before one of Budi’s account was opened. “There is a hypothesis based on the transactions that [Budi] has used his son’s account to disguise funds indicated to be not obtained from his income as a police officer,” the document states. The basic monthly salary for a three-star general like Budi, who has been a police officer since 1983, is Rp 5.33 million, according to Government Regulation 35/2014. Additional income such as allowances and honorariums can increase the figure to Rp 50 million. Budi, who formerly served as adjutant to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, submitted his official wealth report (LHKPN) in 2013, where he claimed he had assets worth Rp 21.5 billion. In the report, however, Budi claimed his deposits and other cash-equal assets were only worth Rp 383.5 million. The document also states that Budi was mentioned in the PPATK’s previous analysis of suspicious transactions involving Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Trimedya Panjaitan. In February 2006, when he was chairman of House of Representatives’ commission III overseeing legal and human rights affairs, Trimedya was said to have received 10 checks worth Rp 250 million procured by Budi, according to the document. Contacted by The Jakarta Post on Sunday, Trimedya denied the report. “It is simply not true and is false information,” he said. The lawmaker also said he had never been questioned by the authorities over alleged suspicious financial transactions involving him. Budi has also repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to his bank accounts, saying that he “made the money from legal businesses”. Among companies recorded to have made transactions with Budi and Herviano’s accounts is property firm PT Masindo Lintas Pratama. In November 2006, the company transferred Rp 1.5 billion to Herviano’s account amid disputes involving customers of the Hollywood Residence apartment developed by Masindo. Months later, the customers filed a police report over Masindo’s alleged embezzlement of around Rp 200 billion. It is not known if the report has been investigated. Outgoing National Police chief Gen. Sutarman has said Budi’s accounts have been clarified and declared “clean”.
