Graft convict Gayus H. Tambunan launched into a tirade at his sentencing hearing on Wednesday, accusing the Judicial Mafia Taskforce of meddling in his case, upsetting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Speaking to the press at the end of the hearing at the South Jakarta District Court that saw him sentenced to seven years in jail, Gayus said he never told the Judicial Mafia Taskforce that the billions of rupiah in his bank accounts came from the Bakrie Group.

Gayus said he told taskforce members Denny Indrayana and Mas Achmad Santosa about the Rp 50 billion (US$5.5 million) he had in his safety deposit box during their rendezvous in Singapore.
“However, I never told them where [the money] came from,” he said.

Denny and Achmad, nicknamed Ota, said on several occasions that the funds came from the Bakrie Group. “I never said that [to them],” Gayus said.

“The taskforce had their hands in the issue and caused the issue to diverge from the tax mafia, which could have possibly implicated the director or the Directorate General of Taxation, which could implicate [prosecutor] Cirus Sinaga,” he said.

Cirus allegedly doctored Gayus’ dossier after receiving a US$50,000 bribe from Gayus.

However, it was feared that implicating Cirus further could reveal “the truth” behind the case of former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Antasari Azhar, Gayus said. He did not elaborate on what he meant by “the truth”.

Antasari was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder of a businessman.

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said Yudhoyono was upset by Gayus’ comments about the taskforce. “The President is upset with Gayus’ statements at his press conference. He’s never heard such things before,” Julian said.

Julian said Yudhoyono asked the taskforce to issue a public explanation within 24 hours. “The taskforce needs to clarify Gayus’ statements and provide an explanation to the media — and the President,” he said.

Gayus also said that Denny, who promised to protect him, had politicized his case to serve Denny’s own interests. Gayus also accused Denny of intimidating his wife, Milana Anggraeni.

Denny, the Judicial Mafia Taskforce’s secretary, denied all Gayus’ accusations. “I have data and information about this case. [Gayus’ statements] are totally not true,” Denny told reporters at the State Palace.

Taskforce member Ota said they never promised to arrange a light sentence for Gayus if he provided information about corruption at the tax office and in the judiciary.

Gayus’ attorney Adnan Buyung Nasution said the taskforce was “full of talk”.

Aburizal “Ical” Bakrie’s spokesman Lalu Mara Satriawangsa commented on Gayus’ Wednesday statements, saying “the truth was finally revealed”.

“May God forgive those who seriously slandered Pak Ical,” he said. Lalu said Aburizal had suspected that there were political designs to damage his reputation.

A political tug of war between Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party and  the Golkar Party began when the Bank Century bailout case emerged in 2009. Golkar was the most vocal in accusing the Democratic Party of foul play in the Rp 6.76 trillion bailout.

The government later pressured Golkar by requesting an investigation into alleged tax evasion by several companies partly owned by the Bakrie Group.

Gayus’ sentence was lower than the 20 years prosecutors had requested. Presiding judge Albertina Ho said explanations for the lesser sentence were in the verdict, a book 10 centimeters thick.

Meanwhile, Gayus’ former lawyer Haposan Hutagalung was sentenced on Wednesday as well, to seven years in prison for corruption related to the Gayus case.

South Jakarta District Court presiding judge Thaksin found Haposan guilty of violating three articles in the 2001 anticorruption law.

The judges also fined Haposan Rp 300 million or an additional three months’ imprisonment.

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