It does not take a genius to arrange a daring escape from the police’s not-so-maximum-security Kelapa Dua detention center in Depok, West Java: A pile of cash will do, as former low-ranking tax official Gayus Tambunan can attest.

With Rp 350 million (US$39,000), Gayus paid his way out from his cell to the outside world 68 times since July.

Known as a cunning tax insider with an IQ of 147, according to sources at the tax office, Gayus has mesmerized the public since his name hit headlines for bribing law enforcement officials to get cleared of graft and money laundering charges.

Using loopholes and other tricks, Gayus helped large companies tinker with their taxes to pay less than they were required to.

His services has earned him a fortune in less than six years at the tax office. The latest police findings show Gayus accumulated a fortune of more than Rp 100 billion (US$11.1 million), a very suspicious number for an ordinary tax official who earned around Rp 12 million per month.

Several large multinational companies in the energy and mining sector were regular clients of Gayus.

“A smart opportunist, but short-sighted” were the words used by Gayus’ lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution to describe the 31-year-old defendant.

“He has the ability to manipulate the situation for his own interests. He, however, never spent time considering the consequences of his actions,” he said.

Born in Warakas, North Jakarta, to a poor family, Gayus graduated from the prestigious National State Accounting Institute (STAN) in 2000 and was first posted as a tax official in Balikpapan.

STAN breeds the nation’s brightest crop of students from impoverished families, as it provides free education with most graduates guaranteed of a job in the Finance Ministry.

Although categorized as a genius, Gayus’ reckless cover-up while on a jaunt away from his cell to holiday to Bali raised questions.

Despite donning a wig, Gayus was easily recognized by journalists at a tennis match on Nov. 4.

So far, the real motives of his Bali trip remained unknown.

Gayus told police that he was merely taking a break from his stressful prison cell, and wanted to see his tennis idol.

The father of three has been in police custody since late March after a disclosure by former National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji that Gayus bribed several top police officers, prosecutors and judges late last year to escape criminal charges.

Gayus was at the time being prosecuted for money laundering after the money laundering watchdog spotted Rp 28 billion in his personal bank account, allegedly collected from his services helping companies dodge taxes.

The police seized Gayus’ assets worth Rp 75 billion from a safe deposit box at Bank Mandiri. Of the assets, Rp 60 billion was in cash while the rest was mostly gold.

However, the whereabouts of the assets have been questioned by Gayus lawyers as police refuse to pool the assets in a temporary bank account to prevent any party from misusing them.

“I fear the police may partake of the assets,” Adnan said.

Gayus’ case timeline

March 14: Former National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji implicates several top police officers, prosecutors, judges, tax officials and businessmen in a graft case during Gayus litigation, who is charged with corruption and money laundering amounting to Rp 25 billion (US$2.73 million). Despite the crime, in January the court put Gayus on six months’ probation.

March 16: Gayus’ whereabouts is unknown.

March 20: The Supreme Court demotes Tangerang chief justice Muhtadi Asnun, who presided over Gayus’ dubious money laundering and corruption trial.

March 31: Gayus turns himself in after the Police track him down in Singapore, where he fled with his family.

April 5: The National Police demote Lampung Police chief Brig. Gen. Edmond Ilyas for his role in engineering lenient charges for Gayus.

April 8: The Attorney General’s Office announces it has demoted two prosecutors after both were found guilty of not conducting a proper examination of the corruption case involving Gayus.

June 8: The National Police demote special crime detective chief Brig. Gen. Raja Erizman for his role in engineering lenient charges for Gayus.

June 16: Police seize cash and gold worth Rp 74 billion (US$8 million) from Gayus’ safety deposit box at Bank Mandiri.

Sept. 8: Gayus’ first trial starts. Prosecutors indict him on charges of corruption, bribery and tax evasion. If found guilty, Gayus could face 20 years in prison.

Nov. 3: After bribing the warden and guards, Gayus illegally walks out of his cell, and flies to Bali with his wife and children.

Nov. 4: Kompas daily photographer takes a picture of Gayus watching a tennis tournament in Bali.

Nov. 6: Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie is in Bali to watch a tennis tournament.

Nov. 6: National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi pays a surprise visit on the Kelapa Dua detention center to find Gayus missing from his cell. Ito then picks up Gayus in his luxury home in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, to take him back to his cell.

Nov. 7: Nine officers tasked with guarding inmates at the Kelapa Dua detention center are being investigated and detained for allowing Gayus to walk out.

Nov. 15: Gayus admits he left his cell and flew to Bali to watch the tennis tournament.

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