DJP Banten designates five suspects in Rp580 billion tax embezzlement case

The management of the companies failed to correct financial reports despite knowing the data was inaccurate, repeating the actions to gain personal benefits. Serang (ANTARA) - The Banten Regional Office of the Directorate General of Taxes (Kanwil DJP) has designated five people as suspects in an alleged tax crime case involving three steel companies, with the total estimated state loss reaching Rp580 billion. The head of Kanwil DJP Banten, Aim Nursalim Saleh, in Serang on Wednesday, stated that the suspects are initialled RS, CX, HG, GM, and LCH. “The designation of suspects was carried out based on at least two valid pieces of evidence after the civil servant investigators (PPNS) coordinated with the Banten High Prosecutor’s Office and the PPNS Supervisory Coordinator of the Metro Jaya Police,” Aim said during a press conference on the designation of tax crime suspects. He detailed that the suspects consist of one Indonesian citizen (WNI) and four foreign nationals (WNA). Currently, the DJP has collaborated with the regional immigration office to prevent them from leaving the country. The three involved companies are PT Putra Steel Indonesia (PSI) and PT Putra Steel Merdeka (PSM), located in the Milenium Industrial Estate, Tangerang, as well as PT BPN, located in the industrial area of Serang. Aim explained that the modus operandi used by the suspects involved submitting Monthly VAT Notification Letters (SPT) with incorrect or incomplete contents. Additionally, they conducted sales of Taxable Goods (BKP) without collecting VAT and used third-party accounts (nominees) to hold the sales proceeds. During the investigation, the PPNS team conducted a search at the factory location on 5 February 2026, attended by Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa and the Director General of Taxes. From the search, officials seized documents, digital evidence, and took statements from employees. To date, the taxpayers have only paid Rp45.2 billion in state revenue losses out of the total potential loss of Rp580 billion.