Susno reveals bigger corruption scandal

Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 04/08/2010 12:50 PM

Former National Police detective chief Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji revealed Thursday another corruption scandal allegedly orchestrated by the same group as the Gayus H. Tambunan case, but involving more money.

"I have just been informed of a case involving a business dispute of a Singaporean arowana fish businessman in Pekanbaru.

"It turned out that the 'players' were the same [as those in the Gayus case]. The detectives were the same, the lawyer Haposan was the same, the prosecutors were the same. And all of them were under the control of the same Mr. X," Susno told a hearing with the House of Representatives' Commission III on law and human rights.

Susno said the case took place when he was still serving as the detective chief last year.

The case involved hundreds of billions of rupiah while Gayus' case involved "only" Rp 28 billion (US$3 million).

Gayus, a tax official, allegedly deposited the funds he got from tax payers' bribes in his bank account. But later, according to Susno, the group "fabricated" testimony that most of the money was legal and owned by businessman Andi Kosasih.

"Andi Kosasih was only a 'clown' used by the syndicate. And he was also used in the arowana fish case.

"In my opinion, the arowana fish case should have been a civil lawsuit since it was more of a business dispute than a crime.

“I told my detectives to stop the investigation, but they insisted [on continuing]," Susno said.