Former Tax Officer Wawan Ridwan Denies Sending Billions To His Son's Account: Prosecutors' Allegations Are Not True

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JAKARTA - A former middle tax examiner at the Directorate General of Taxation and Collection, Wawan Ridwan, denied sending billions of rupiah to his son Muhammad Farsha Kautsar's savings account.

"I convey that the prosecutor's accusations against me and my child are not true", said Wawan while reading the plea or defense memorandum at the Corruption Court (Tipikor), Central Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Monday, June 6.

In opening an account at Bank Mandiri, he continued, an Taxpayer Identification Number (NPWP) is required, while the child does not have an NPWP. So, the NPWP is used as a parent.

"As a father, there's no way I'm going to ruin my son's future by giving me a lot of money", he said.

At Tuesday's trial (10/5), the public prosecutor of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that the money in Farsha's account amounted to more than IDR 8 billion. He then distributed this money, including to a former flight attendant named Siwi Widi Purwanti.

In Wawan's indictment, Farsha is said to have jointly committed a crime of money laundering (TPPU) even though her status is still as a witness.

The prosecutor also asked Farsha about the appearance of incoming cash deposits in the 2019-2021 period when she was a witness. At that time, Farsha admitted that the money that came in came from his parents and his business.

On Monday, May 30, Wawan Ridwan was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the KPK prosecutor.

They considered that Wawan had been proven guilty of bribery and gratification along with another former tax inspector named Alfred Simanjuntak in connection with the examination of taxpayers and money laundering (TPPU) involving Farsha.

In addition, Wawan was also charged with a fine of IDR 300 million, a subsidiary of substitute imprisonment for 5 months. The KPK prosecutor also demanded an additional penalty, namely paying a replacement fee of IDR 2,373,750,000.00 (two billion three hundred seventy-three million seven hundred and fifty thousand rupiahs).

If the money is not paid within 1 month after the decision has permanent legal force, Wawan's property can be confiscated by the prosecutor and auctioned to cover the replacement money.

However, if Wawan does not have sufficient assets to pay the replacement money, he will be sentenced to 2 years in prison.

According to the KPK prosecutor, the punishment was because Wawan was proven to have violated Article 12 paragraph (1) letter an of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 65 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code on the first indictment.

Next Article 12 B of Law no. 31/1999 as amended by Law no. 20/2001 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code jo. Article 65 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code on the second indictment.

The KPK prosecutor also stated that Wawan had been legally and convincingly proven guilty by the law of committing the crime of money laundering as regulated and threatened with criminality in Article 3 of Law no. 8/2010 concerning Prevention and Eradication of the Crime of Money Laundering jo. Article 65 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code on the third indictment.

Furthermore, the fourth indictment, Article 3 of Law no. 8/2010 concerning Prevention and Eradication of the Crime of Money Laundering jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code jo. Article 65 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.