Jakarta. Chief Security and Legal Affairs Minister Mohammad Mahfud MD is supposed to shed light on bombshell allegations of Rp 349 trillion ($23 billion) money laundering at the Finance Ministry during a hearing with lawmakers on Wednesday afternoon, but he spent much of his precious time countering verbal attacks from politicians, most notably Arteria Dahlan.

The much-anticipated hearing gained national attention amid a string of scandals involving Finance Ministry high-ranking officials who flexed wealth on social media platforms. The public outrage at the ministry culminated after Mahfud revealed a fantastic amount of laundered money in the past decade involving many ministry officials and outsiders.

But not many explanations can be heard from the hearing which lasted almost eight hours as Mahfud and lawmakers traded arguments and accusations.

Mahfud was angered by an earlier statement from Arteria implying that the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center, or PPATK, was wrong when it supplied the minister with money laundering data because the agency should report directly to the president.

Mahfud underlined that he is also the president’s appointee to lead the Committee on Money Laundering Prevention which depends on the PPATK for data and information.

He said the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) led by Budi Gunawan also regularly briefs his office with the latest intelligence information. The minister dared Arteria to stop the intelligence boss from supplying information to Mahfud’s office.

"Do you, Mr. Arteria, have the courage to say the same thing to BIN Head Budi Gunawan? He also reports to the president but every week the agency submits intelligence information to my office. This is a crucial thing because I work on intelligence information," Mahfud said during the hearing with the House committee on legal affairs.

Arteria, a politician with the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), suggested that Mahfud could have violated the law by leaking intelligence information to the public.

According to Mahfud, such a statement could add complication to the money laundering scandal and he was in fact reported to the police by a group of anti-corruption activists.

"I was appointed by the president to lead [the committee on money laundering]. What’s the point of my leadership if the PPATK cannot report to me? If I’m not allowed to know anything?” Mahfud said.

"Don't try to bluff me because I can do the same to you," he told Arteria.

At one point of the hearing, Mahfud alleged that behind strong and harsh statements from lawmakers, there is the interest of a “broker”.

“House members are strange. Sometimes they are angry at something but it turns out they actually act as a middleman. They are furious at the attorney general but then they come to his office brokering a [legal] case,” he said to an angry response from lawmakers.

“I demand that you retract this statement or I will make my case of this,” Arteria said.

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