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Calls mount for Gayus, tax graft inquiry
Several legislators on Sunday claimed to have secured enough support from fellow legislators to begin an inquiry into the widespread corruption at the tax office
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everal legislators on Sunday claimed to have secured enough support from fellow legislators to begin an inquiry into the widespread corruption at the tax office.
The initiative was launched in the wake of the multi-million dollar graft case of former taxman Gayus H. Tambunan, who claimed his superiors were also involved in corruption at the Directorate General of Taxation.
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator Ganjar Pranowo said he officially supported the move.
“A number of legislators came to me few days ago talking about the plan. I agreed to join the initiative,” he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) legislator Sarifuddin Sudding, one of the initiators of the move, said at least 25 legislators supported the inquiry. The 2009 Legislative Bodies Law stipulates that an inquiry can be proposed if it received the support of at least 25 legislators.
Bambang Soesatyo of the Golkar Party, Ahmad Yani of the United Development Party (PPP) and Lukman Edy of the People’s Awakening Party (PKB) have also reportedly joined the move.
Sutjipto from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party said the proposal would be handed over to House of Representatives leaders on Monday.
“The proposal will be brought to a plenary meeting for an endorsement,” he told news portal tempointeraktif.com.
The inquiry can be endorsed if more than half of the legislators attending the plenary meeting approved the proposal, after which the House would form an inquiry committee.
The committee has the authority to investigate, collect documents, summon and question government officials as well as any other related figures. Gayus, a former tax official, was sentenced to seven years in prison last week on four different corruption charges. Many in the public were shocked by the lenient sentence, given that Gayus had amassed up to Rp 100 billion (US$11 million) from corporate tax payers.
“The inquiry is expected to help the public settle questions left unanswered by the Gayus case, which is riddled with irregularities and loose ends,” Ganjar said.
Earlier this month, the House’s law commission set up a new working committee to probe Gayus. Hanura’s Sarifuddin acknowledged that the inquiry committee’s work could overlap with the working committee as both would have similar tasks.
“We need an inquiry team because it would have more powers than a working committee. This is important because the case has drawn massive public attention,” he said.
Unlike an inquiry committee, which is endorsed by a plenary meeting, a working committee is proposed and endorsed by a House commission.
Analysts said the inquiry was prone to politicking and would only exacerbate public anger at the country’s political situation.
University of Indonesia state administrative law expert Irman Putra Sidin said the inquiry would likely be another tool for political bargaining and trade-offs. “I’m afraid this inquiry will end just like the Century inquiry,” he said.
The inquiry into the controversial 2008 Rp 6.76 trillion Bank Century bailout ended in February last year with a conclusion that the decision to bail out the bank was riddled with regulatory violations.
The House recommended that law enforcement officials investigate all suspected officials including former Bank Indonesia governor (now Vice President) Boediono and former finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
