Indonesia’s Financial Intelligence Agency Freezes FPI Accounts

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Outlawed Indonesian hard-line organization the Islamic Defenders Front [FPI] reversal of fortune continues, following its ban by the government and the arrest of controversial chief Rizieq Shihab in December 2020.

The Indonesian government’s leading financial watchdog, the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre [PPATK] has applied a temporary freeze on the bank accounts of the FPI and its affiliates.

“The PPATK froze [the FPI’s accounts] to ‘analyze or investigate financial transactions, as we have cause to suspect they are related to money laundering or other crimes,” said PPATK spokesman Natsir Kongah on Wednesday, January 6 2021.

“The freeze is also applied to prevent the transfer or use of funds from accounts that are known or suspected of draw funds from illegal activity.”

Also read: Indonesia Officially Disbands the FPI

Natsir added that the banks complied with the PPATK’s investigations. “We have received 59 reports from banks and other financial institutions confirming they stopped financial transactions from the FPI’s accounts or their affiliates,” he asserted.

The PPATK freezing of the FPI accounts confirmed FPI legal counsel Aziz Yanuar's suspicions after the government disbanded the group on Wednesday, December 30, 2020.

“[The FPI] have at least one account that we cannot access [since FPI’s disbandment],” Aziz said to Kompas.com.

“The account is [worth the equivalent of thousands of dollars], and we have reason to believe that it was stolen by the government."

ANTARA FOTO/AKBAR NUGROHO GUMAY FPI signposts taken down at the groups offices in Petamburan, Central Jakarta, Wednesday (30/12/2020)

Also read: Jakarta Metropolitan Police Arrest FPI Chief Rizieq Shihab

The government’s ban on the FPI was based on a joint ministerial decree (SKB). The signatories included Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Minister of Legal Affairs and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly, as well as Indonesian National Police Chief General Idham Aziz.

Other officials who signed the order included Minister of Communications and Informatics Johnny G. Plate, Attorney General ST Burhanuddin, and National Counterterrorism Agency [BNPT] head Boy Rafli Amar.

The decree authorized PPATK to take action against the FPI, on grounds that the “[FPI] is forbidden to carry out activities or show its symbols and other attributes in Indonesia.”

The National Police has complied according to laws drawn up in 2010 and 2013 to prevent and crack down on money laundering and terrorist financing.

The government disbanded the FPI, after the group and Rizieq repeatedly flouted health protocols by organizing large rallies in Jakarta and West Java after his return from exile in November, 2020.