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KPK slaps charges on latest taxmen accused of bribery
Life & death, tax & graft: Graft suspect Mohammad Dian Irwan is paraded after questioning by the KPK on Thursday
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Life & death, tax & graft: Graft suspect Mohammad Dian Irwan is paraded after questioning by the KPK on Thursday. Dian and colleague Eko Darmayanto, both tax officials at the East Jakarta tax office, were allegedly caught red-handed while accepting S$300,000 (US$240,800) from an employee of PT The Master Steel. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama) (US$240,800) from an employee of PT The Master Steel. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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span class="inline inline-none">Life & death, tax & graft: Graft suspect Mohammad Dian Irwan is paraded after questioning by the KPK on Thursday. Dian and colleague Eko Darmayanto, both tax officials at the East Jakarta tax office, were allegedly caught red-handed while accepting S$300,000 (US$240,800) from an employee of PT The Master Steel. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named two tax officials as suspects for accepting bribes in a yet another tax evasion case.
KPK spokesperson Johan Budi said on Thursday that the two taxmen, Mohamad Dian Irwan Nuqishira and Eko Darmayanto, were suspected of receiving S$300,000 (US$240,558) in cash from steel company PT The Master Steel.
'After intensive questioning, we found evidence [to support naming them suspects],' he told a press conference on Thursday.
Besides the two tax officials, the KPK also named Teddy Mulyawan, finance manager at The Master Steel, a suspect for allegedly acting as a courier, and Effendy Kumala, a manager at the same company.
Johan said that the KPK suspect the two taxmen also received an additional S$300,000 on May 7.
According to a source within the KPK, the company's tax bill for the past three years was up to Rp 120 billion.
The Finance Ministry's tax director general, Fuad Rahmany, acknowledged that The Master Steel had tried to evade taxes.
The case came to a head late on Tuesday, when Mohamad Dian parked a Toyota Avanza at Terminal III of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and handed the car key to Teddy, who allegedly put the bribe money inside the car. On Wednesday, Mohamad Dian and Eko went to the airport to pick up the money, where they were arrested with Teddy.
The KPK later arrested Effendy at his house in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.
The four suspects have been detained in separate facilities. Effendy was transported to Cipinang Prison in East Jakarta, and Teddy is at Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta.
Mohamad Dian and Eko, were detained at the Guntur Military Police detention center and the Jakarta Police detention center respectively.
The tax evasion case came on the heels of another tax bribery case in April, where a taxman named Pargono Riyadi was caught red-handed accepting Rp 125 million in bribes from PT Asep Hendro Racing Sport.
Pargono allegedly extorted the money from the company, saying that Asep Hendro, the owner, still had unpaid taxes. Asep claimed he had paid all of his taxes.
Commenting on the recent cases of graft in the tax office, Fuad said that he appreciated the KPK's efforts, adding that the tax directorate general would take stern measures in dealing with corrupt taxmen.
