PRESIDENT ORDERS THOROUGH PROBE INTO GAYUS CASE

Jakarta, Apr 5 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called for a thorough investigation of the tax fraud case involving tax officer Gayus Tambunan, saying anyone involved in it must be brought to justice.

Speaking before leading a cabinet meeting on Monday, the president said the case was obviously a conspiracy between tax officers and taxpayers.

"I consider this a conspiracy case (And therefore) I ask for it to be solved, (the persons involved) must be pursued to ensure clean governance so that the state will not lose," he said.

The head of state admitted he was disturbed by the case which he thought had arisen from mafia-like or conspirative operations that had spread and crossed fundamental lines.

"This must be busted," he said.

The President said he had just received an initial report which was not full about the Gayus Tambunan case.

He hoped the disclosure of the case would spur serious "clean" movements with regard to governance so that the present government would leave better conditions for the next government.

He said he had actually called for a total fight against and prevention of tax fraud five years ago.

"Certainly this is a kind of crime that we must not tolerate to happen while the country is still in need of more funds to finance its development," he said.

President Yudhoyono hoped law enforcement agencies as well as the task force he recently set up to fight judicial mafia would seriously handle the case and report the progress of the case settlement to him.

He also asked parties concerned to think of measures needed to prevent such a case from happening again in the future.

Yudhoyono meanwhile also called for continued processing of cases like the Century Bank case and not to forget it because of the Gayus case.