INDONESIAN POLICE NAMES BAHASYIM ASSIFIE SUSPECT

Jakarta, April 9 (ANTARA) - After being questioned for more than 10 hours, Bahasyim Assifie was named suspect for his alleged involvement in the corruption and money laundering case here Friday.

Assifie who allegedly embezzled Rp64 billion was detained at the Jakarta metropolitan police's jail at 09.30 pm local time after the police investigators questioned him since 10.00 am.

The former tax official was accompanied by his son, Kurniawan Arifka, and his lawyer, Jhon K.Aziz, when police officers brought him to the Jakarta metropolitan police jail.

The Jakarta police spokesman Senior Commissioner Boy Rafli Amar said the suspect allegedly committed money laundring involving Rp64 billion by transferring the money to the bank accounts of his wife, Sri Purwanti, and his daughter, Winda Arum.

The police investigators suspected that the money came from kickbacks from tax payers.

If conficted Bahasyim Assifie could be sentenced to 15 years in jail.

Jhon K.Aziz said he was disappointed with his client's arrest, saying that Assifie's dossiers were not yet complete because the police investigators had just raised 12 questions.

Assifie's detention is related to the Indonesian police's seriousness in crushing the fiscal mafia within the taxation directorate general office.

The police have previously detained and questioned rogue tax official Gayus Tambunan that according to former chief detective Commissioner General Susno Duadji his case was assisted by certain police officers in the national police force.

Susno Duadji was the first person who revealed the mafia case and engineering practices within the police force in connection with Tambunan's money laundering and corruption cases.

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 irregularity in the investigation of the case the police then set up a special team of investigators.

At least 12 middle ranking officials of the Indonesian finance ministry were allegedly involved in this tax brokering case.

In connection with Tambunan's case, the police had arrested Haposan Hutagalung, who was Tambunan's lawyer from June 8 to September 1, 2009, and two middle-ranking police officers.

The Gayus Tambunan fiscal mafia case had also triggered the suspension of Lampung provincial police chief Brig Gen Edmon Ilyas to facilitate an investigation into his suspected involvement last week.