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PPATK finds graft suspect Papua governor spent Rp 560 billion at foreign casinos
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Papua Governor Lukas Enembe speaks to journalists after his inauguration at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Sept. 5, 2018. (kompas.com/Ihsanuddin)
S
tate-run Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has found suspicious transactions worth hundreds of billions of rupiah after examining financial records of Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, who was recently named a corruption suspect, but continues to evade police questioning.
The suspicious transactions include a series of payments totaling S$55 million (US$39 million) to overseas casinos since 2017.
"The PPATK has received information about his gambling activities in two different countries. [...] We found that the suspect has made cash deposits amounting to S$55 million or equivalent to Rp 560 billion to casinos," PPATK head Ivan Yustiavandana told a press conference on Monday.
"At one point, the suspect made a fantastic cash deposit worth S$5 million to a casino and bought a watch worth S$55,000," he added.
According to Ivan, the PPATK has frozen transactions worth more than Rp 71 billion in 11 financial-service institutions such as banks and insurance companies in relation to Lukas’ case. Most of the transactions were carried out through one of Lukas' children's bank accounts.
Lukas, a Democratic party politician who has been Papua Governor since 2013, has been embroiled in a lengthy list of graft allegations, including a 2017 case related to the misuse of scholarship funds for the 2016 fiscal year.
Also in 2017, Lukas was named a graft suspect relating to a regional election in Papua. Lukas allegedly swayed the public to choose his preferred pair of regent and deputy regent candidates for the Tolikara regency general elections.
