11 arrested for alleged Rp 22.8b tax scam
11 arrested for alleged Rp 22.8b tax scam
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police detectives have arrested 11
people for alleged involvement in a Rp 22.8 billion (US$2.59
million) taxation scam at private company PT Telekomunikasi
Selular (Telkomsel), an officer said on Wednesday.
Jakarta Police detectives chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo
announced that the 11 suspects consisted of three staff members
of Telkomsel communications operator, three staff members of the
Taxation Office and five employees of state and private banks.
"Police so far have confiscated some Rp 2 billion cash from K,
one of 11 suspects," he said.
Alex, who was escorted by other detectives, displayed the
money to reporters. It was in Rp 50,000 notes and stored in three
cartons, each measuring 40 centimeters by 30 centimeters and 25
centimeters deep, and three plastic boxes.
"We're still trying to seize another Rp 11.6 billion from K,
who's a brother of a staffer at Bank X," the officer said.
According to Alex, the police were having difficulty
confiscating the remaining amount of money because it was kept in
different saving accounts at different banks.
Based on a preliminary police investigation, the gang
apparently carried out the misdeeds since November last year
until last month.
The 11 suspects were recently arrested on different occasions
at various locations in Jakarta and the West Java capital of
Bandung.
Alex refused to give details of the scam but reports said that
the three Telkomsel officials, who were assigned to pay the
company's tax worth some Rp 7 billion per month, took the money
to the banks and instead of transferring it to the taxation
department's account, handed the money to their accomplices at
the banks.
The bank employees, with help from accomplices at the Taxation
Office, issued fake receipts for taxation payment.
The money was then transferred to the gang member's savings
accounts.
The police became aware of the scam after one of the gang
members, who received an unequal share of the money, reported the
crime to the police three weeks ago.
Alex said the police were still investigating the case to
discover the roles of other suspects. (01/bsr)