KPK Extends Detention Period Of Two Tax Consultant Suspects

Deputy Chairperson of the KPK Alexander Marwata and Spokesperson Ali Fikri/DOK ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has extended the detention period for the next 40 days against two tax consultants representing PT Gunung Madu Plantations (GMP), namely Aulia Imran Maghribi (AIM) and Ryan Ahmad Ronas (RAR).

The KPK named the two suspects in the alleged bribery case related to the 2016 and 2017 tax audits at the Directorate General of Taxes, Ministry of Finance.

"Today, the investigation team has extended the detention period for suspect AIM and his friends for 40 days each from March 9, 2022 to April 17, 2022," said Acting KPK spokesman Ali Fikri in a statement quoted by Antara, Tuesday, March 7.

Suspect Aulia is currently being held at the South Jakarta Metro Police Rutan and Ryan is being detained at the West Jakarta Metro Police Rutan.

Ali said investigators would still collect evidence to strengthen the suspicions of the two suspects' actions, including by calling witnesses related to the case.

"The witnesses will be confirmed by various evidence related to the case," said Ali.

The KPK explained that in October 2017 the two suspects met with the Supervisor of the Tax Auditor Team at the Directorate General of Taxes Audit and Collection, Wawan Ridwan, the Head of the Examination Team at the Directorate General of Taxes Audit and Collection, Alfred Simanjuntak together with the team as the tax audit team from the Directorate General of Taxes to discuss the existence of findings related to tax payments with PT GMP taxpayers.

The KPK suspects that the two suspects want the value of PT GMP's tax liability to be manipulated or lowered not according to the provisions by offering Wawan and his team a sum of money.

In order to realize the money offer, several meetings were held, including at the Central Directorate General of Taxes Office in South Jakarta.

The KPK suspects that the money prepared by the two suspects was around Rp. 30 billion as an "all-in" sourced from PT GMP's company money which was intended for "fees" for tax inspectors and several structural officials at the Central Directorate General of Taxes as well as payment of PT GMP's tax obligations.

Meanwhile, the special nominal was given to Wawan and his team to be forwarded again to Angin Prayitno Aji as Director General of Taxes Audit and Billing and Dadan Ramdani as Head of Sub-Directorate of Cooperation and Audit Support of the Director General of Taxes, estimated to be around Rp. 15 billion.

The KPK said that with the fulfillment of the wishes of the two suspects by Wawan and his team and approved by Angin and Dadan, the realization of the provision of around Rp. 15 billion was allegedly given in cash to team members from Wawan at a hotel in the South Jakarta area.