G

raft convict Gayus Halomoan Tambunan, the former tax official at the center of a large-scale corruption case, is scheduled to get his sentence reduced next week.

For his reported good behavior, Gayus — who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for helping companies evade taxes and bribing a judge and two police officers — is one of more than 30,000 inmates expected to receive a remission on the 66th anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence on Aug. 17.

“All inmates exhibiting good behavior and who have already served a minimum time in prison are eligible to receive a reduction in their sentences,” Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar said after a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace on Thursday.

He said Gayus had shown good behavior in his six months at Cipinang Penitentiary.

Gayus allegedly amassed Rp 28 billion (US$3.28 million) within a year through brokering tax deals.

He was spotted at a tennis tournament in Bali when he was supposed to be in a detention center in Depok, West Java. Gayus was later found to have frequently left his cell in the detention center to travel abroad.

Judges at the South Jakarta District Court found Gayus guilty in January of bribing judge Muhtadi Asnun and police officer Comr. Arafat Enanie in exchange for his acquittal in a trial at the Tangerang District Court.

He was also found guilty of abusing his authority as a tax official in his handling of a tax complaint by seafood company PT Surya Alam Tunggal that led to state losses of
Rp 570 million.

Gayus was also found guilty of conspiring with businessman Andi Kosasih to create a fake agreement to unfreeze his bank account containing Rp 28 billion.

The court sentenced Gayus to seven years in prison for his crimes.

The Jakarta High Court then turned down his appeal and extended his sentence to 10 years.

Patrialis argued that giving remissions to inmates who showed good behavior was a way to uphold justice.

He said the ministry turned a blind eye and would completely ignore the issue of Gayus’ frequent jaunts from the detention center as he was not under ministry supervision at the time.

Patrialis added that the ministry was awaiting requests for remission from nine prisons across the country until Aug. 15. “So far, 31,000 inmates will receive remissions, 1,900 of whom will be freed [from prison].”

The 2006 government regulation on remission states that inmates eligible for remission had to exhibit good behave and have served at least six months in prison. Remission can also be granted to inmates who lead social activities in prison.

The regulation states those imprisoned on charges of terrorism, drugs, corruption, crimes against state security or human rights violations could only receive remission if they had served a third of their sentence.

Gayus is on trial for other crimes. On Wednesday, the Tangerang Prosecutors’ Office sought a three-year sentence for Gayus for forging a passport he used to travel overseas. He is also a witness in the trial of other suspects linked to his crimes.

Legal expert Chairul Huda said regulations allowed for all inmates to receive remission as long as they showed good behavior in prison.

“In Gayus’ case, he left his cell when in a detention center, not in prison. The assessment for remission is made when convicts enter prison,” he told The Jakarta Post.