V

incentius “Vincent” Amin Santoso, the man who helped uncover a controversial tax evasion scandal in 2006, was released from Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta on Friday after serving two-thirds of his 11-year sentence.

Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Denny Indrayana said on Friday that the parole was part of the government’s appreciation for Vincent’s cooperation in divulging the Rp 1.26 trillion (US$130 million) tax fraud by agribusiness giant PT Asian Agri.

“He was the justice collaborator in this tax-fraud scandal. I can’t imagine we could have uncovered the case without his assistance. Just after midnight, we granted him the parole,” Denny said during a press conference at the penitentiary complex.

Vincent, Asian Agri’s former finance controller, had been put behind bars for attempting to embezzle US$3.1 million of the company’s funds and for laundering the money that he succeeded in stealing.

Vincent fled to Singapore after Asian Agri Group reported him to police for embezzling the company’s money. From his hideout, the 49-year-old man revealed the illicit practices of his former company.

Later, he provided the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) with documentary evidence.

As a result, the Supreme Court ordered Asian Agri – owned by Indonesia’s seventh-richest tycoon Sukanto Tanoto – to pay Rp 2.5 trillion in tax and sentenced Suwir Laut, the company’s financial controller and tax manager, to two years’ imprisonment.

The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) chairman Abdul Haris Semendawai meanwhile said that the agency would continue protecting Vincent and his family from physical threats.

“We will extend protection to him considering that he will reveal more information about the roles of other individuals in the case,” said Abdul at the press conference.

Since 2010, the agency has had Vincent under tight security. He was held in a maximum-security cell with his meals being checked regularly to prevent poisoning.

Denny said he hoped that the government’s special treatment for Vincentius would encourage other individuals to become justice collaborators.

“A justice collaborator is someone who is not the main actor in the case, agrees to work with law enforcement agencies and has a recommendation letter from the LPSK,” the deputy minister said.

Abdul said that his agency had named “dozens of people” justice collaborators, with most of them revealing corruption and tax fraud.

Among them is Agus Chondro, a former lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), who first revealed the bribery behind the election of Miranda Goeltom as Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor in 2004.

Abdul suggested that the government should provide better security for justice collaborator by building a special penitentiary and providing stipends for them.

“The special penitentiary would reduce the possibility of attacks against them. However, the plan is still hindered by limited penitentiary space and the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s budget,” he said.

Apart from that idea, the agency has proposed the amendment of the 2006 law on witness and victim protection to accommodate the rights of justice collaborators and whistleblowers.

The House of Representatives has included the law on its priority list to be deliberated this year. (yps)