KPK seize documents from Bhakti Investama

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators confiscated documents on Friday following a raid at the offices of investment company PT Bhakti Investama and vowed to hunt down other actors involved in the bribery scandal.

The antigraft body said it would also investigate the possible involvement of the company’s employees in the case. “Yes [we will broaden our investigation] to get more evidence for the case,” KPK chairman Abraham Samad said on Saturday.

He confirmed the appropriation of several documents that could be used to build the case but declined to go into details.

A team of 20 KPK investigators raided Bhakti Investama’s offices, located on the fifth floor of the MNC Tower in Central Jakarta, and also the South Jakarta residence of James Gunaryo, a suspect in the case.

KPK investigators spent only around an hour at James’ house but several hours at the Bhakti Investama offices, as they needed the time to examine documents belonging to the company, which is controlled by media tycoon Hary Tanoesoedibjo.

James, who is believed to be an executive with Bhakti Investama, and a tax official, Tommy Hindratno (earlier spelled Tomy Hendratno), were arrested by KPK investigators after sealing a deal at a restaurant in Tebet, South Jakarta, on Wednesday. At the scene, the KPK confiscated Rp 280 million (US$30,000) in cash that was allegedly paid to Tommy as a bribe to fix the company’s tax affairs. Tommy is believed to have been a mediator between the tax auditor and the company to smooth the issuance of a tax restitution amounting to Rp 3.4 billion for overpaid taxes.

According to an unnamed source, Tommy had previously served as a tax consultant for Bhakti Investama. James’ position in the case, however, remains unclear as Abraham declined to verify whether James was an executive at the company and acted on behalf of the company or whether he was merely another mediator for Bhakti Investama.

The KPK referred to James simply as a businessman.

Kompas daily reported that the KPK also raided an office situated on the MNC Tower’s sixth floor later on Friday night. According to the newspaper, James works for electronics distributor PT Agis, which in 1994 cofounded PT Indovision — Indonesia’s first pay-TV service under the auspices of Hary’s MNC group.

KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto said the antigraft body would not let any other company linked to the scandal escape investigation or prosecution. He would not repeat the mistakes in the case of another tax official, Gayus H. Tambunan, who is currently serving a prison term for accepting bribes from several companies to reduce their tax burdens. The companies involved, however, remain untouched.