SBY demands improved Gayus investigation

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued instructions aimed at resolving the dragging Gayus H. Tambunan investigation.

The President told a limited Cabinet meeting Monday that relevant government institutions should follow his 12 instructions in order to resolve the many scandals involving Gayus, the tax mafia and rampant bribery allegations.

“I hope other [anti-graft] institutions not directly under the auspices of the government will help solve the Gayus case in collaborative work with government institutions,” he said.

First, SBY ordered the National Police, the Finance Ministry, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and the Law and Human Rights Ministry to speed up their investigations of the Gayus case.

"Second, improve the synergy between law enforcement officers and other institutions, and involve the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) and the Judicial Mafia Task Force," SBY said, adding that he also invited the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to pursue leads the police have yet to follow up on.

The third order was to evaluate performance and audit the financial reports of certain institutions that have a connection to the Gayus case such as the tax office, the National Police and the AGO.

"I also expect a similar audit to be done by other institutions that are not directly under the President," SBY said.

The fourth was an order to enforce the law without any exceptions.

"Out of 149 companies [that have connections with former tax officer Gayus], some might have problems with their tax reports, so they are subject to investigation should we find sufficient evidence,” he said.

SBY also instructed police and related institutions to look into possibly applying a new approach – the  reverse burden of proof – in the handling of the Gayus case.

In the sixth order, SBY urged his subordinates to secure and retrieve funds and assets from Gayus.

"I have instructed my subordinates to sanction officers who are found guilty of involvement in the Gayus case with administrative sanctions including demotion and dismissal,” he said of his seventh order, giving a one-week deadline for government institutions to conduct a thorough evaluation of their officers.

As the eighth order SBY set a one-month deadline for institutions involved in the Gayus case to reposition their officers.

"This will prevent the institutions from making similar mistakes in the future," he said.

In the ninth order, SBY instructed his subordinates to review their working system and repair any loopholes that were found.

The tenth order obliged Cabinet ministers to submit periodical reports directly to the President.

"I want the public to know about the process so I have asked the ministers to provide details about the progress of the Gayus case,” he said, regarding the11th request.

As his last point, SBY assigned Vice President Boediono to cooperate with the Judicial Mafia Task Force to monitor the ministries and institutions to see whether they have followed his orders.