Asian Agri Could be Declared Free of Legal Charges
Tuesday, 18 March, 2008 | 08:51 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Attorney General’s Office has said that the Asian Agri Group, which was suspected of embezzling tax amounting to Rp1.3 trillion, could possibly be declared free of legal charges.

But the company, which belongs to Sukanto Tanoto, has to pay taxes plus a fine amounting to 400 percent of the unpaid taxes.

“This is regulated in the Tax State Degree”, said Abdul Hakim Ritonga, Deputy Attorney General for General Crimes, last weekend.

According to him, section 44-b of the degree states that the prosecution can stop the investigation into a tax case if there is a request from the Finance Minister, based on the consideration of state revenue.

“So it depends on the Finance Minister”.

Based on previous statements, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, and Director General of Taxation Darmin Nasution tended to treat the case by a judicial approach.

Currently, the Directorate General of Taxation is still completing documents for the alleged tax manipulation case that is involved 14 suspects.
It is planned that by the end of March, it will submit these to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).
According to Ritonga, AGO personnel will meet the investigative team from the Directorate General of Taxation.

According to findings by the Directorate General of Taxation, it is suspected that tax manipulation by palm oil business is done through several approaches.
One of these is through inflating expenses up to Rp1.5 trillion, export transactions to Rp232 billion, and reduction of earnings by Rp889 billion.

Asian Agri spokesperson, Rudy Victor Sinaga, stated that the company was ready to settle out of court.
According to Rudy, Asian Agri will choose the best solution offered by the government.

RINI KUSTIANI | ARI ASTRI YUNITA