Mandiri Admits Blocking AMPB Account, Polda: Not a Block, but a Request to Suspend Transactions

JAKARTA – News that Bank Mandiri had blocked the account of a party linked to the Aliansi Masyarakat Pati Bersatu (AMPB) went viral on social media. The block was said to have been requested by the police.

However, Polda Metro Jaya has clarified the information concerning the steps taken by investigators from the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) in their investigation into AMPB’s fundraising. According to the police, the action was a request to suspend transactions, not an account block.

“The letter submitted to the bank was a request to suspend transactions, not an account block,” said Polda Metro Jaya Head of Public Relations, Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto, in Jakarta on Monday.

The transaction suspension refers to Article 26 of Law Number 8 of 2010 on the Prevention and Eradication of the Criminal Act of Money Laundering and is valid for a maximum of five working days.

“We need to clarify that what the investigators submitted was a request to suspend transactions. So, this is different from an account block,” he said.

During the suspension period, the funds remain in the account belonging to the party concerned and are not seized. After this period ends, the account can be used again in accordance with applicable regulations as long as there are no further legal actions that form the basis for restricting transactions.

In the investigation, Budi said, investigators also used Article 237 of Law Number 4 of 2023 on the Development and Strengthening of the Financial Sector (UU P2SK) as one of the legal bases related to the aspect of raising funds from the public.