Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday revealed suspicions that former tax official Rafael Alun Trisambodo allegedly engaged in money laundering through investments in state-owned companies Garuda Indonesia and Pos Indonesia during his time in office.
This revelation surfaced after executives from both companies were questioned as witnesses in the case against the suspect.
"Witnesses were questioned about their knowledge of alleged investments by the suspect, RAT, in their respective companies," KPK spokesman Ali Fikri said in a press release.
The witnesses included Slamet Sajidi, project leader for enterprise resource planning (ERP) development at Pos Indonesia; Elisa Lumbantoruan, former IT director at Garuda Indonesia; and Gunadi Hastowo, director of investment consultant firm Cubes Consulting.
Ali confirmed that the corruption case against Rafael is now prepared for trial, with all necessary documents handed over to prosecutors.
"The prosecution team is formulating the indictment and intends to bring the case before the Anti-Corruption Court within 14 working days," Ali said.
However, the separate charges related to money laundering are still under investigation, as further evidence and witness interviews are needed, he added.
Rafael was taken into custody in April after authorities discovered foreign currency banknotes worth $2.2 million in safe deposit boxes registered under his name.
The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) had previously uncovered suspicious transactions totaling Rp 500 billion ($32.9 million) involving Rafael, his family members, and associates over the past few years.
In his mandatory disclosure to the KPK prior to the commencement of the investigation, Rafael had declared personal wealth worth Rp 56 billion ($3.6 million).
Before facing charges related to alleged corruption, money laundering, and undeclared wealth, Rafael had already faced public scrutiny when his son, Mario Dandy, was arrested by the police for a violent assault that left a teenager in a coma.
The case garnered widespread public outrage as investigations into the son's behavior unveiled ostentatious displays of wealth on social media, including images and videos featuring luxury cars and motorcycles linked to the family.