Surabaya court
\nfrees another tax
\nevasion suspect<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Surabaya District Court has acquitted
\nanother businessman accused of tax evasion, thus triggering
\nrenewed charges of impropriety.<\/p>\n
The panel of judges led by Sarwono decided on Saturday to
\nacquit Delip Khumar Gobindram Vasandani due to a lack of
\nincriminating evidence.<\/p>\n
Vasandani, an Indonesian citizen of Indian origin, was accused
\nof forging tax invoices to receive restitution from the value
\nadded tax, causing the state to lose more than Rp 943 million
\n(US$450,500).<\/p>\n
Last week the same court acquitted two other businessmen,
\nHelmy Nazar Machfudz of PT Inraco Artajaya and Sugiarto of CV
\nMerkas Sari, of similar charges.<\/p>\n
Helmy and Sugiarto were charged with manipulating tax refunds
\nthat caused the government to lose over Rp 5.1 billion ($2.3
\nmillion).<\/p>\n
The court's verdict to acquit the two businessmen sparked
\ncontroversy, with no less than President Soeharto expressing his
\nconcern over the decision. The President, according to Minister
\nof Finance Mar'ie Muhammad, closely monitored the court
\nproceedings and hoped that other such trials would be more fair.<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice Oetoyo Usman last week announced that the
\npresiding judges presiding over the two cases would be
\ninvestigated because of allegations that they accepted bribes
\nfrom the two defendants.<\/p>\n
East Java chief prosecutor Martoyo had alleged that Judge
\nSarwono accepted a bribe from defendant Vasandani in the form of
\na brand-new Toyota Corona sedan worth Rp 90 million ($43,300).
\nSarwono has strongly denied the allegations.<\/p>\n
It was also Martoyo who first suggested both Helmy and
\nSugiarto had also bought their acquittals by bribing the judges
\npresiding over their trials.<\/p>\n
But Helmy's lawyer, Wijono Soebagio, responding to the claim,
\nsaid that the prosecutors in the trial had accepted Rp 300
\nmillion ($144,000) from his client. Wijono told the court that he
\nrecorded the conversation between his client and the prosecutors
\nin which the slush money was negotiated.<\/p>\n
Minister Oetoyo has formed a special team to investigate the
\nallegations and promised to announce the results of the
\ninvestigation later this week.<\/p>\n
He said nine judges from Surabaya District Court are now being
\nwatched closely by the team.<\/p>\n
They are Sri Hardiyati, Sudarminto, Suwardi, Armen Lubis,
\nMansur Idris, Sowito, Nadi Rekso Dikromo, Kalalaoo and Sarwono.<\/p>\n
Before the verdict to acquit Vasandani was announced, Sarjono,
\nthe chief prosecutor in the trial, had demanded that the
\ndefendant be sentenced to five years in prison, fined Rp 20
\nmillion and forced to pay Rp 1 billion ($490,000) to the state as
\nrestitution.<\/p>\n
However, the panel of judges was adamant that Vasandani had
\ndone nothing wrong, saying that the businessman had properly
\nfulfilled the tax restitution legalized by the authorities.<\/p>\n
Comments<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a number of tax officials commenting on the
\nacquittal said the decision could have not come at a worse time
\nbecause the government has been waging a stiff campaign against
\ntax evaders.<\/p>\n
Tax receipts have achieved greater importance for the
\ngovernment as a means of offsetting the dwindling revenue
\ncollected from oil.<\/p>\n
Sarwono refused to discuss his decision to acquit Vasandani
\nwith reporters. "My comment was already made in the verdict," he
\nsaid curtly as he rushed to his waiting car, Republika daily
\nreported.<\/p>\n
As soon as the presiding judge finished reading his verdict,
\nan elated Vasandani stood and bowed his head in an expression of
\nrespect to the panel of judges. He then shook hands with all
\nmembers of the panel.<\/p>\n
"I'm very delighted and satisfied with the presiding judge's
\ndecision. The chief prosecutor should have been suspended," he
\ntold a battery of reporters who surrounded him. (bas)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/surabaya-court-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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