Gayus Tambunan Loses Rp 4 Billion In Prison Scam
September 14, 2011
High-profile graft convict Gayus Halomoan Tambunan has reportedly lost Rp 4 billion ($460,000) after being deceived by a fellow inmate who claimed he could multiply the fortune.
Gayus, a former tax official who was prosecuted after authorities found suspicious bank accounts worth Rp 28 billion in his name, was fleeced by Muntaha at the Cipinang State Penitentiary in East Jakarta, an official at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights said on condition of anonymity. Muntaha also took money from two other inmates.
There are unconfirmed reports that police learned about the incident after Gayus failed to receive any return after five months.
“We haven’t received a case filed by Gayus so far. Any incoming report will be reviewed according to procedures,” said Sutarman, the police’s chief of detectives.
In a separate development, prosecutors have recommended that Gayus’s former boss and ally in the fraud case be sentenced to four years in prison and pay a fine of Rp 200 million for abuse of power that led to state losses.
“Prosecutors concluded that the defendant, Bambang Heru Ismiarso, was guilty of corruption along with several others,” prosecutor Subkhan told the court.
Bambang, 39, was director of appeals at the Directorate General of Taxation, where Gayus worked.
Bambang was convicted of corruption for his handling of a Rp 609 million tax payment in 2004 to Surya Alam Tunggal, an East Java-based seafood company.
The company had requested a refund based on claims the tax payment was miscalculated. Bambang and his tax office team approved the request.
“Bambang overlooked several taxation regulations and his decision to approve the claim was a conscious act designed to benefit Surya Alam Tunggal,” Subkhan said.
Gayus himself was sentenced to 12 years for his involvement in the scandal.
( This x the JG)
wo 14 sep 2011 - 2:57