AGO names another taxman over alleged graft charges

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has named Dhana Widyatmika a suspect in an alleged graft case, a senior official has said. He added that AGO investigators had seized most of Dhana’s assets but he remained at liberty pending further investigations.

Dhana, a Taxation Directorate General employee, has now been posted to the Jakarta tax office. Dhana’s wife reportedly also works at the Taxation Directorate General.

“Our investigators are still questioning him and so far they don’t need him or his wife arrested,” investigation director at the AGO’s special crimes division Arnold Angkow said on Friday as quoted by tempo.co.

Dhana is suspected of having Rp 60 billion in several accounts.

Many dubious transactions were reportedly first spotted by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK).

Upon finding these suspicious transactions the PPATK handed over to the AGO to tackle the case.

Commenting on this, Arnold said that the AGO hadn’t received any tip-off from the PPATK.

“We received reports from ordinary citizens instead,” he said without further elaboration.

With Dhana now on the AGO’s list, he brings to at least three the number of tax officers who have been under recent public scrutiny. The first was former taxman Gayus Halomoan Tambunan, who initially managed to avoid prosecution after bribing law enforcers involved in his case but who had his case retried and was sent to prison.

Gayus also faces another trial in a separate graft case that is still ongoing.

Besides Gayus, Bahasyim Assifie, a former tax office head, was also proven guilty of graft and sentenced to 12 years.