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Gayus claims new ammo against Bakrie
The tax office plans to seek more evidence from the police to follow up new claims of tax irregularities at firms linked to the politically wired Bakrie family
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T
he tax office plans to seek more evidence from the police to follow up new claims of tax irregularities at firms linked to the politically wired Bakrie family.
Directorate General of Taxation spokesman Iqbal Alamsjah said Friday his office would verify claims by former low-ranking tax official Gayus Tambunan about payments he claimed to have received from three Bakrie-linked mining companies to help settle their tax problems.
Iqbal said the office might reopen the books of PT Bumi Resources and its subsidiaries, PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) and PT Arutmin, to investigate the claims, and would seek police help to get more evidence.
“Any new information leading to indications of tax crimes will be looked into thoroughly,” he said.
“However, we don’t have access to any information from the police as Gayus’ case is a criminal one,
and is not directly related to tax crimes. However, we are working on this.”
Earlier National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi confirmed that Gayus had told police he had received payments from 44 companies including from Bumi, KPC, and Arutmin.
However, Ito said, the police so far only had Gayus’ testimony, and needed more supporting evidence.
Bumi spokesman Dileep Srivastava on Thursday called the allegations baseless and said the company was concerned.
“We hope the police investigation can soon reveal the truth. Bumi’s reporting has always been transparent, audited and publicized.
“Our tax status is clear and has been further enforced by a Supreme Court ruling, even though we were the defendants in the case,” Srivastava said.
The tax office, which is under the Finance Ministry, could not verify at this stage whether Gayus’ claims were related to the existing tax dispute Bumi, KPC and Arutmin were embroiled in, Iqbal said.
The firms are in a dispute with the tax office over claims worth Rp 2.1 trillion (US$230 million).
A tax office investigation into the case is still underway despite the tax office recently losing a battle against KPC at the Supreme Court, which ruled the investigation into the company could not be justified.
Meanwhile, Judicial Mafia Taskforce member Mas Achmad Santosa on Friday urged the police to follow up Gayus’ claims by summoning the management of the companies.
“The Taskforce will monitor the case to ensure there will be no impunity for anyone involved in the case.”
Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie, who heads President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s joint administration of coalition parties, is the patron of the Bakrie family.
Lawmaker Benny Harman echoed the need for police to get tough on cases related to the Bakries.
“The police should not back down just because the companies are linked to the Golkar chairman,” the Democratic Party legislator said.
Gayus’ testimony to the police
Payment from PT Bumi Resources
Amount: US$500,000 in cash delivered by middleman Alif Kuncoro
Place of transaction: Gayus’ residence in Cempaka Mas apartment building in Central Jakarta
When: Early 2008
Case: Gayus received a job from Alif to help Bumi settle a case revolving around its corporate income tax and value-added tax (VAT) for fiscal year 2005 with the tax tribunal. Gayus initiated contact with a tribunal clerk with the initials IH to settle the case. The tribunal eventually acquitted Bumi in the dispute.
Payment from PT Kaltim Prima Coal
Amount: $500,000 in cash delivered by Alif
Place of transaction: Parking lot of the Peninsula Hotel in West Jakarta
When: Around 2008
Case: Gayus received a job from Alif and his brother ICM to help KPC settle its tax problem with the Large Tax Office (LTO) in Gambir, Central Jakarta. The problem revolved around LTO’s decision to halt the issuance of KPC’s tax invoice for fiscal years 2001 to 2005 due to currency misinterpretation. Gayus sought help from his superior, then section head of the tax reduction and appeal, identified by the initials MPM, to help resolve the case.
Payment from KPC and PT Arutmin
Amount: $2 million in cash delivered by Alif
Place of transaction: Gayus’ residence in Cempaka Mas apartment building in Central Jakarta
When: 2008
Case: Gayus received a job from Alif to help revise tax income invoices for KPC and Arutmin for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 as part of the companies’ participation in the “sunset policy” applied in 2008. Under the policy, taxpayers are exempted from paying penalties should they agree to honestly disclose hidden assets and income.
