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Gayus to face trial before Lebaran: Prosecutor

Former tax official Gayus Halomoan Tambunan will soon face trial on bribery and tax fraud charges, a prosecutor says

Dicky Christanto (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, August 30, 2010

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Gayus to face trial before Lebaran: Prosecutor

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ormer tax official Gayus Halomoan Tambunan will soon face trial on bribery and tax fraud charges, a prosecutor says.

Muhammad Yusuf, head of South Jakarta Prosecutors’ office, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that prosecutors had completed Gayus’ case file and submitted it to the South Jakarta District Court.

The trial is slated to be held next week, he added. “Thus if there is no obstacle, we will hold trial just before the Idul Fitri [Lebaran] holiday.”

Gayus, a low-ranking tax official, made headlines early this year when former National Police detective chief Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji revealed that Gayus had allegedly bribed law enforcers to evade punishment for his alleged tax crimes.

The bribery scandal caused public outcry against the tax office, the Police, the Attorney General’s Office and the judiciary, which have long been perceived as corrupt.

Gayus, though having only worked at the tax office for a few years, was found to have had several bank accounts containing Rp 28 billion (US$3.1 million) and was living a lavish lifestyle. He was acquitted of corruption and money laundering charges by the Tangerang District Court in March.

Pia Nasution, Gayus lawyer, said she was ready to defend her client at trial. She also added that the defense team had proposed that Gayus face the bribery and tax fraud charges in the same trial.

“We have no problem with one trial with two indictments; in fact I feel that it will be much more efficient that way. We have talked about this with the authorities from the beginning to get their approval and it turns out they approve,” she said.

She added that to date her client, as well as his family, were well and ready to face trial.

When asked about several earlier statements made by Gayus indicating the involvement of new people in the case, such as the chief detective Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi, who, according to Gayus, may have also received some of the money, Pia said those statements had already been heard during police interrogations.

The South Jakarta District Court has tried several people linked to the high-profile bribery case.

Names include Comr. Mohammad Arafat Enanie, Adj. Comr. Sri Sumartini, Lambertus Palang Ama, Syahril Djohan and Alif Kuncoro.

Meanwhile, Judge Muhtadi Asnun, a Tangerang District Court judge, who allegedly received bribes from Gayus to clear him of all charges, is facing trial at East Jakarta District Court.

Dozens of witnesses have already been summoned to the court to testify. Among those witnesses are Brig. Gen. Edmon Ilyas, the former director of economic crimes desk at the National Crime Detectives Agency.

The trials of Gayus’ accomplices, Humala Napitupulu and Maruli Pandapotan Manurung, were also imminent, the prosecutors say.

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