Letter to the editor: Strong protest by Adnan Buyung Nasution

We, Adnan Buyung Nasution and Adnan Buyung Nasution & Partners Law Firm, lodge our strong protest against an article in The Jakarta Post, Friday, Jan. 21, on page 1 entitled “Gayus’ wild claims ‘won’t shield big fish’,” particularly the fifth paragraph, which stated: “Gayus’ lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution, who received Rp 10 billion (US$1.1 million) in legal fees for defending Gayus, unexpectedly turned on the taskforce, with which he had previously had good ties.”

The news is very tendentious without being based on facts, while also harms our reputation and honor as professionals engaged in the legal profession for over 50 years. We deeply regret the publication of such a report in this paper without checking it with us as the relevant lawyers.

We also regret that The Jakarta Post has not followed the open court session wholly and thoroughly. It should be noted that the decision on the Gayus case had nothing to do with the main case of the alleged judicial and tax mafia involving Rp 28 billion and Rp 74 billion owned by Gayus. The recent verdict only concerned the “small-fry” case of the refund of tax objections submitted by PT Surya Alam Tunggal worth “only” about Rp 570 million, and the cases of [lower-ranking National Police officers] such as Comr. Arafat, Adj. Comr. Sri Sumartini and [former South Tangerang District Court] judge Muhtadi Asnun.

Therefore, the 7 years’ imprisonment levied on Gayus was already proportional to the allegations examined in the trial and the legal facts presented. As we have frequently maintained in our defense and also to the press, the Gayus case has been localized in such a way so as to obscure the major case of the alleged judicial and tax mafias, which have not yet been uncovered so far.

With regard to the legal fees we have reportedly received from Gayus totaling Rp10 billion or equivalent to US$1.1 million, this is completely false and constitutes a malicious allegation against us.

It gives the impression that we conducted our defense merely for big legal fees. In fact, we have emphasized from the beginning that our defense had a commitment to fully unveil the alleged judicial and tax mafias using Gayus as an entry point.

We consider this report character assassination and damaging to our reputation as senior attorneys with unshakable integrity. Legal fees are actually a very private and confidential matter between attorneys and clients and reporting it for public consumption is unethical.

Prof. Dr. Adnan Buyung Nasution
Adnan Buyung Nasution
& Partners Law Firm
Jakarta