The NII (Indonesian Islamic State) owns assets worth billions from their members, an expert says.

Researcher Sholahudin, who intensively observes the NII movement, said Saturday that he predicted NII’s assets were based on the properties of Al-Zaytun, an Islamic boarding school in West Java, which was allegedly linked to the NII movement. The school has been rumored to receive funds from illegal sources, including the NII.

“I have the data about the NII’s assets, but I cannot really remember them. But it is easy to know by seeing the assets of Al-Zaytun boarding school. They have 200 hectares of land worth Rp 20 billion (US$2.33 million). They also have schools and dormitory buildings which are worth hundreds of billions,” he said in Jakarta, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The owner of Al-Zaytun school, Panji Gumilang, had around Rp 250 billion in his bank account at Century Bank. He incurred significant losses when the bank collapsed after the government bail out scandal.

Sholahudin said the NII could receive as much as Rp 9 billion in donations each month from their members. “But now they face a decreasing number of donations from their members. Now they only retrieve Rp 5 billion per month,” he said.

Source : Jakarta Post