The tax evasion case involving taxation directorate officer Gayus H. Tambunan is likely to implicate more players, indicating that the current case hits only the tip of the iceberg in tax-related corruption, a lawmaker at the House of Representatives law commission says.
There are at least 149 companies with tax issues related to Gayus, lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo said Thursday after a meeting with National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri.
“I have a list [of the problematic firms]. They relate to Gayus’ case, as indicated by Gayus’ bank account transactions,” Bambang said as quoted by Antara. He said the case, which involves Rp 28 billion (US$3.08 million) in Gayus account, was only a part of a larger crime.
Gayus is likely involved in tax crimes along with hundreds of companies, Bambang added.
Chief detective at the National Police Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi said his detectives had begun investigating into hundreds of companies that evaded tax with Gayus’ assistance.
Bambang said his commission regarded the tax crime case and corrupt officials inside tax offices and the police force an urgent matter. “We asked the National Police chief to fire police officers who are proven guilty of tampering with tax crime investigations,” he said.
The Gayus case emerged when Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji told the media about “case brokers” in the National Police. Susno said shortly before he left his position as chief detective of the force, he received a report from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center about a suspicious Rp 28 billion in Gayus’ bank account. Susno’s statement has increased public scrutiny of the National Police and the Taxation Directorate General office.
Several tax experts said that Gayus was likely an amateur in tax crime, indicated by his “carelessness” having the money enter his bank account. They said more “experienced” corrupt tax officers received cash as payment because it was harder to trace. The tax office is among institutions under Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati’s reform program to “clean” the ministry. In 2006, the minister replaced the taxation director general from Hadi Poernomo to Darmin Nasution. Hadi, now Supreme Audit Agency chief, has been criticized after the public learned that most of his wealth, Rp 36 billion of Rp 38 billion, were reported as “donations”.
Indonesia Corruption Watch calculated that the largest proportion of “gifts” Hadi received was when he was a tax examiner in Jakarta from 1987 to 1993.
The Directorate General of Taxation held a press conference Thursday, saying that internal investigation found indication that Gayus had violated anti-corruption and tax laws. Director General Mochamad Tjiptardjo said his office was also examining possible involvement of 10 of Gayus’ superordinates. The 10 have been suspended while the examination is underway.
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said Gayus’ wife, Milana Anggraeni, was scheduled for questioning in relation to the case. Police said they received information that about Rp 3.6 billion of funds were transferred from Gayus account to Milana’s. Gayus and Milana fled to Singapore on March 24. On Wednesday, Gayus returned to Indonesia, but Milana was not present during Gayus’ arrival. Police confirmed that as of Thursday, Milana was in Jakarta.
