Witness Calls Rafael Alun's Wife Several Times Present During A Meeting At PT Frame

JAKARTA - Former tax specialist PT Artha Mega Ezadhana (PT Arme) Ary Fadilah testified in a follow-up hearing in the alleged corruption case of receiving gratuities with the accused former official of the Directorate General of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) Rafael Alun Trisambodo.

In his testimony, Ary said that Rafael Alun's wife, Ernie Meike Torondek, was involved in several meetings at PT Frame, Rafael Alun's tax consulting firm.

"The company regularly holds meetings, sir, whether it's a shareholder meeting or a management meeting or sometimes just gathering. In several meetings, as far as I remember, he (Ernie) was also present," said Ary at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor), Monday, September 25, quoted by Antara.

This statement was Ary's answer to the Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) who asked Ernie's involvement in the company.

"The defendant's wife, Ernie Meike Torondek, is it active or passive in PT Frame?" asked the KPK prosecutor.

Hearing Ary's answer, the prosecutor then asked again to make sure.

"It means, yes, come, yes?" asked the KPK prosecutor.

"Yes," answered Ary.

Ary said that Ernie usually attends meetings at PT Arme at the same time as Rafael Alun. However, Ary admitted that he did not know who chaired the meeting between top tax consulting firms.

"If the shareholder meeting is of course closed, I have never, but his presence is, 'Oh this', we all know there will be a shareholder meeting, a board of directors meeting, of course we know as employees. But we are not participating in it. So, I cannot state who is leading the meeting," he said.

On that occasion, Ary also revealed that Ernie was one of the shareholders in PT Frame.

At the end of the trial, Rafael Alun confirmed that his wife, Ernie Meike Torondek, was a commissioner of PT Frame de jure (based on law). However, he admitted that he had never invited his wife to be involved in a company meeting.

"I need to emphasize here that what was conveyed by witness Mr. Ary Fadilah regarding the de jure commissioner, that's my wife; de facto, that's me: that's true. And I never invited my wife to join the meeting," said Rafael, who was immediately overwritten by the Chairman of the Panel of Judges Suparman Nyompa.

Suparman emphasized that Rafael had his own time to explain his objections regarding witness testimony.

"Later. Later your statement, yes. There is a time. This is just the testimony of this witness first. If there is anything to be denied, now it is denied if something is wrong. Later you will have a long story. There is a time," said Suparman.

In this case, the KPK prosecutor charged Rafael Alun Trisambodo with receiving gratuities worth Rp. 16.6 billion.

The KPK prosecutor stated that the gratuity was received by Rafael Alun and his wife, Ernie Meike Torondek, who was one of the witnesses in the case of alleged receipt of the gratuity.

"The defendant together with Ernie Meike Torondek gradually from May 15, 2002 to March 2013, received gratuities in the form of money, a total of Rp. 16,644,806,137," said KPK prosecutor Wawan Yunarwanto at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court, Jakarta, Wednesday, August 30.

In addition, Rafael and his wife were also charged with money laundering (TPPU) with a value of Rp. 100 billion.