POLICE ALREADY KNOW GAYUS'S WHEREABOUTS

Jakarta, March 30 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian police already know the whereabouts of Gayus Tambunan, a tax official wanted for corruption and money laundering, a spokesman said.

"We (Indonesian police) have been coordinating with related authorities," the National Police Headquarters' spokesman, Inspector General Edward Aritonang, told newsmen here Tuesday.

However, Aritonang did not clarify what related authorities the Indonesian police investigators had been coordinating with nor Tambunan's whereabouts.

He said the police had also arrested a lawyer and a police officer in connection with Tambunan's case.

Haposan Hutagalung, who was Tambunan's lawyer from June 8 to September 1, 2009, and Police Commissioner Arafat had been in police custody since Monday night, he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Law and Human Rights Patrialis Akbar said the fugitive had left Indonesia for Singapore but the Indonesian immigration's directorate general had actually impounded his passport.

But Tambunan had used a false data for applying for a new passport by saying to the immigration authorities that he was a private company's employee, Akbar said.

"A company had given him a guarantee but I forget the company's name," he said.

In another development, Chief of the Indonesian police's detective unit Commissioner General Ito Sumardi said a police team was in Batam Island and Singapore to arrest Tambunan.

"But, he has yet to be arrested," he said.

Tambunan's case came under the spotlight after the police named him suspect in connection with a suspicious Rp25 billion bank account in his name.

Following the discovery of the irregularities in the investigation of the case the police then set up a special team of investigators.

It was former chief detective Commissioner General Susno Duadji who was the first person to disclose the irregularities.