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Jakarta Corruption Court to decide fate of retail businessman in tax case
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PT EK Prima Ekspor Indonesia president director Ramapanicker Rajamohanan Nair (center) enters a courtroom at the Jakarta Corruption Court before a hearing on March 6. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
T
he Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday will hand down a verdict for Ramapanicker Rajamohanan Nair, a businessman charged with bribing a tax official to help settle his company’s tax issues.
The case also involves businessman Arif Budi Sulistyo, the brother-in-law of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors in a trial hearing two weeks ago demanded four years and Rp 250 million (US$18,763) in fines for Ramapanicker, who is the country director of PT EK Prima Ekspor Indonesia, a local unit of Abu-Dhabi-based retail giant LuLu Group International.
In their indictment, the prosecutors accused Ramapanicker of bribing tax official Handang Soekarno with Rp 1.9 billion. Handang is being tried separately.
(Read also: Jokowi 's brother-in-law denies involvement in tax fraud)
Ramapanicker has confessed to bribing Handang. In an emotional defense last week, the Indonesian businessman said he had to bribe Handang, because he had been shocked and flustered when the Tax Office notified him last year that his company had tax dues amounting to Rp 75 billion last year, forcing him to find some individuals to resolve the issue.
He said paying the Rp 75 billion could cause his company to collapse and render all its employees jobless.
"I want to say, from the bottom of my heart, that I apologize to the Finance Ministry and all the Indonesian people [...] I really love this country," Ramapanicker said. (wit)
