Tax Director: Meeting with Jokowi`s In-Law to Discuss Tax Amnesty

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Ministry’s tax director general Ken Dwijugeasteadi confirmed that the meeting with Arif Budi Sulistyo, the brother-in-law of President Joko Widodo or Jokowi, was held to discuss matters other than PT EK Prima Ekspor Indonesia’s (PT EKP) tax issues.

“[We] didn’t discuss PT EKP,” Ken testified for tax official bribery case defendant Ramapanicker Rajamohan Nair at the Corruption Court in Jakarta on Monday, March 13, 2017.

Ken clarified that the meeting, which took place at the Tax DG’s office and was also attended by former PT Bangun Bejana Baja director Rudy Prijambodo Musdioni, was to discuss the Tax Amnesty Program.

“[We were discussing] the tax amnesty with Rudy,” Ken explained.

Ken claimed that the meeting was also attended by some of his fellow directors.

PT EKP, which is registered as a taxpayer at the Tax Office for Foreign Direct Investment (KPP PMA) VI, had been entangled with tax issues in the period of 2015-2016. As the director of the India-based company, Nair is facing a charge of bribing mid-ranking tax official Handang Soekarno to clear the company’s tax issues. In the prosecutor’s indictment, Nair had asked for help from Arif to be introduced to several tax officials.

Ken was also mentioned in the indictment and allegedly instructed Jakarta’s special tax office head Muhammad Haniv to issue an order for KPP PMA VI head Johny Sirait to cancel the revocation of the taxable entrepreneur (PKP). Ken dismissed the allegation saying that there was no special report on the cancellation of the PKP revocation.

In response to a question related to the meeting with Arif, Ken did not mention the exact date of the meeting. However, Ken revealed that it was the first time he met with Arif, who serves as PT Rakabu Sejahtera director of operation.

Ken explained that he received a call from Haniv before the meeting. Through Handang, Haniv told Ken that Arif and Rudi wanted to meet.

“He [Arif] called Haniv who contacted Handang. I was unavailable so I told him to hold,” Ken said.

Ken reiterated that Arif did not mention PT EKP’s tax issues or participation in the tax amnesty. However, they discuss the tax amnesty program in general.

“So, he asked if a company in Central Java was allowed to participate in the tax amnesty program in Jakarta. I said yes,” Ken explained.

Ken also claimed that he was not aware that Arif was President Jokowi’s brother-in-law.

Ken’s explanation was questioned by the panel of judges since they assumed that a tax director general would be a very busy person and would not meet an unknown person.

“I can imagine that that a director general is busy, and then he meets a stranger who wants to know about the tax amnesty program. Is it possible?,” Judge Jhon Halasan Butar Butar asked Ken.

According to Ken, the meeting was reasonable and common. Ken said that anyone who wants to directly ask a question about the tax amnesty program must be heard if he has the time.

“It is possible. I would meet anyone if I have the time,” he said.

MAYA AYU PUSPITASARI

https://nasional.tempo.co/read/news/2017/03/13/078855499/dirjen-pajak-akui-bertemu-ipar-jokowi-hanya-bicara-tax-amensty