Luhut Panjaitan`s Name Listed in the Controversial Panama Papers
24 April 2016 12:00 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Among the surprising revelations found by Tempo Magazine's investigative team was the discovery of Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Affairs, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, in the Panama Papers - which was leaked from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca.
Monsack Fonseca is known to specialise in the creation of discreet, off-shore shell companies, where large corporations and ultra-rich individuals could hide their assets in tax havens nations, such as the British Virgin Islands.
The Panama Papers was first leaked at the beginning of 2015, by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung - which then decided to cooperate with the Washington D.C.-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to collaborate with 400 investigative journalists from more than 100 media from across the globe, including Tempo Magazine in Indonesia.
Luhut Binsar Panjaitan is listed as the Director of Mayfair International Ltd - an offshore company that was first created on June 29, 2006. In the papers, the company is owned by two companies - PT Persada Inti Energi, and PT Buana Inti Energi.
In its' Deed of Establishment, Mayfair is known to be registered on the First Floor, Suite 103, in Oliaji Trade Centre on Francis Rachel Street in Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles - a former British colony located some 1,600 kilometres east of mainland Africa.
On the same day, Luhut was appointed as the sole director of the company - and in the deed, his address is listed as Jl. Mega Kuningan Barat II No. 11, Jakarta. Luhut's details and appointment as the sole director, was further reaffirmed by a certified copy of Luhut's passport.
Persada and Buana - which is listed as Mayfair's owner - are linked to Luhut. For example, in 2011, in the financial audit of one of Luhut's companies, PT Toba Bara Sejahtera, Buana Energi was listed as a partner company of the former that was being audited.
Meanwhile. Persada Energi is owned by PT Pelita Buana Karya, and Elizabeth Prasetyo Utomo - who happens to also hold the position as PT Toba Bara Sejahtera's Director of Finance between 2008-2009.
PT Buana is actively involved in the forestry sector, while PT Persada was once listed as a member of a consortium that was building a steam-generated power plant in Bengkayang, West Kalimantan.
Mayfair's existence - however - was never listed by Luhut in his State Official Wealth Report (LHKPN), which had to be submitted to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) immediately after he was appointed to a government post.
When contacted by Tempo, Luhut claims to have never heard about a company named Mayfair. "I have no idea what Mayfair is," said Luhut curtly on Thursday, April 21, 2016.
TEMPO