Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
The Special Staff of the Minister of Finance, Yustinus Prastowo, was outspoken regarding the alleged gold bar export case and the alleged Money Laundering Crime (TPPU) which reached Rp. 189 trillion within the Ministry of Finance (Ministry of Finance).
This was conveyed by Yustinus in response to a tweet from the Twitter account @PartaiSocmed which stated that the case was very simple and easy to uncover. However, it is considered to be complicated by gray statements from Ministry of Finance officials.
“On a par with the Director General of Customs and Excise, Deputy Minister of Finance Suahasil Nazara also clarified Copas, namely diverting the gold import case to another case that has nothing to do with it, namely the gold export case. All over Indonesia it is considered a bottle,” wrote the Twitter account @Partai Socmed, Saturday (1/4).
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Related to this, Prastowo said that the Soekarno-Hatta Customs and Excise Commission (Soetta) took action on the export of gold through cargo carried out by PT Q in January 2016. Then it was followed up with an investigation in the customs sector.
At that time, continued Prastowo, PT Q submitted a Goods Export Notification (PEB) document with notification as Scrap Jewelry.
However, BC Soetta KPU officials detected irregularities in the exporter’s profile and x-ray display, so an Intelligence Result Note (NHI) was issued to prevent the loading of goods.
During an inspection of the exported goods, gold bars (ingots) were found, aliases that did not comply with the PEB documents. There should even be an Export Approval from the Ministry of Trade.
Prastowo said that in each package a small amount of gold in the form of bracelets was inserted to trick the x-rays so that it would appear that what was going to be exported was jewelry.
He then explained that in 2015, PT. Q once submitted an application for an SKB (exemption) from PPh Article 22 on Import (DPP of IDR 7 trillion).
However, the Directorate General of Taxes refused because the taxpayer (WP) could not provide data showing that the import produced gold jewelry for export purposes.
“So this is indeed PT Q’s mode of claiming to be a producer of Gold Jewelry for export purposes to get the facility of not being collected with PPh Article 22 on the import of gold bars which should be 2.5 percent of the import value (PMK No.107/PMK.010/2015 article 3),” Prastowo said.
“So it is clear why export activities are mentioned in our clarification. Because exports were the initial indication of criminal acts in the customs sector by PT Q and of course investigations were carried out thoroughly up to the import stage,” he added.
After it was stated that the investigation was complete or P21, PT Q was proven to have committed the act indicted. However, this case was not declared as a crime.
Prastowo said DJBC then filed an appeal and PT Q was proven guilty of committing a crime. However, PT Q submitted a judicial review (PK) which stated that PT Q was proven to have committed the act indicted but not a crime.
In line with PT Q’s handling, the Ministry of Finance and PPATK synergized with the inspection of the PT Q entity by PPATK and customs administration research by DGCE as well as tax administration research by DGT. After that, an investigation into the alleged ML was carried out.
Based on PT Q’s case and the discovery of a similar mode, PPATK submitted SR-205/PR.01/V/2020 to DGCE containing IHP for a group of companies engaged in the gold sector with a total financial transaction value (in and out) of IDR 189.7 trillion.
DGCE then followed up on the SR, one of which was with a customs analysis (export-import) and concluded that there had not been any indication of criminal violations in the Customs Sector.
“Considering that there is no element of customs crime & an investigation has been carried out, convicted, but lost at the Judicial Review (PK) level, optimization is carried out through following up on taxation aspects through PPATK letter number SR-595/PR.01/X/2020 submitted to DGT,” continued Prastowo.
The SR data is then utilized by the DGT for preliminary evidence examination against PT. Q, so that the WP made an Untruthful Disclosure and received a payment of IDR 1.25 billion and succeeded in preventing the 2016 Annual SPT LB refund that was previously submitted by PT. Q of IDR 1.58 billion.
“So it becomes clear that the Ministry of Finance does not remain silent or cover up PPATK data from the Minister. Everything can be explained in an accountable, transparent manner, and can even be used to optimize revenue. We will discuss it thoroughly including imports,” concluded Prastowo.
(Gambas:Video CNN)
(ldy/sfr)