JAKARTA. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said Thursday it would carry out an asset trace to disclose whether Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik, who it had named a graft suspect, might have used money from illegal sources to buy his assets.

According to the KPK’s records, Jero, who previously served as Culture and Tourism Minister before taking his current ministerial position, had total wealth of Rp 11.6 billion (US$984,301) and $430,000. He last reported his wealth to the anti-graft body in 2012.

“We will carry out an asset trace after we have completely studied the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center [PPATK] reports on the suspect’s financial records,” KPK spokesman Johan Budi said Thursday.

PPATK deputy chairman Agus Santoso said his office had sent Jero’s financial records to the anti-graft body for a follow up investigation.

He said PPATK had found a huge number of suspicious transactions in Jero’s bank accounts. This could lead the Democratic Party politician to be charged with money laundering if later the KPK confirmed that the suspicious transactions were related to illegal activities.

The KPK named Jero a suspect on Wednesday for allegedly instructing his subordinate to collect funds of around Rp 9.9 billion from “illegal sources” between 2011 and 2013. The commission said the estimated amount collected may yet increase as the investigation progressed.

Agus refused to reveal the names of the other parties that might have been complicit with Jero in the extortion scheme, saying it could hamper the ongoing KPK investigation. (ebf)

Editor: Yudho Winarto