Indonesia graft agency arrests tax official at centre of wealth scandal

INDONESIA’S anti-graft agency on Monday (Apr 3) arrested a senior tax officer on corruption charges, in a case that has sown distrust among the public against tax officials and triggered calls to boycott paying taxes.

Rafael Alun Trisambodo allegedly received about US$90,000 in kickbacks from taxpayers via a consultancy group he founded to resolve their tax disputes, Firli Bahuri, head of the anti-graft agency, KPK, told a news conference.

The agency confiscated more than a dozen luxury bags, belts and stacks of cash worth 32.2 billion rupiah (S$2.9 million) denominated in US and Singapore dollars and euros from Rafael’s home and bank safety deposit box, Firli said.

Rafael was charged with receiving kickbacks, which carries a maximum 20-year prison term.

Rafael’s lawyer, Junaedi Saibih, and a spokesperson for the tax office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In an interview with broadcaster MetroTV aired on Sunday, Rafael denied wrongdoing.

The KPK’s investigation into Rafael’s wealth comes amid public outrage on social media over government officials seen to be flaunting their wealth and lavish lifestyles.

The controversy prompted Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati to sack Rafael and probe several civil servants last month, and sparked calls among citizens to stop paying taxes.

Sri Mulyani also said the ministry would look into taxpayers whose accounts had been overseen by Rafael.

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President Joko Widodo last month said he understood the public’s disappointment in the government and called for public servants not to flaunt their wealth after the case grabbed headlines in the South-east Asian country. REUTERS