Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – A senior Golkar Party lawmaker said on Wednesday that he would support a proposal to hand the tax mafia case of Gayus Tambunan over to the antigraft agency, and set up a special committee in the House of Representatives to investigate the main actors.

Priyo Budi Santoso, a deputy speaker of the House and Golkar member, said he would sign off on both proposals provided they were approved by the House legal commission.

"If House Commission III agrees to let the KPK take over the case from the police, I will give my approval," he said, adding that such a transfer would set a precedent, and appeared especially unlikely given how far the police had already progressed with their investigation.

Golkar has been trying to distance itself from Gayus's case. The rogue taxman has repeatedly said in his testimony that he received Rp 35 billion ($3.9 million) in bribes from three mining companies under the Bakrie Group – Kaltim Prima Coal, Bumi Resources and Arutmin Indonesia. The Bakrie Group is controlled by the family of Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie.

However, Gayus is now on trial for allegedly helping a little-known company, Surya Alam Tunggal, receive a state refund worth Rp 570 million using false claims while he was still a mid-level tax official.

The proposal to push the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to take over the case was first aired by Democratic Party legislator Benny K.Harman, who also heads the House legal commission.

Benny said the KPK was the only credible institution to handle the case, adding that Gayus was a minor player, and that it was the companies that made huge profits and evaded taxes that authorities should be going after.

Ganjar Pranowo, a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said his party backed the proposal to let the KPK in on the probe.

"If the investigation just focuses on the Rp 570 million, then we will never uncover the mafia in the tax office," Ganjar said. "So we will support the proposal to set up a special committee in the House that will help to uncover the practices of the tax mafia," he said.

However, Ray Rangkuti, a political analyst and director of the Indonesian Civic Network (LIMA), said the Gayus case was being politicized by both Democrats and Golkar for political gain. "Golkar usually counterattacks Democrats by raising questions about the efficiency and function of the presidential task force for judicial mafia," he said.