Day: January 8, 2024

Former official of the Directorate General of Taxation at the Ministry of Finance, Rafael Alun Trisambodo, will be sentenced today. The prosecutors of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) previously demanded Rafael to be sentenced to 14 years in prison for allegedly using his position to commit corruption and money laundering. If the Panel of Judges decides in favor of the KPK and eventually the public, then the outcome of the trial can be predicted. It is hoped that the decision will be a new start for the Ministry of Finance to reform the Directorate General of Taxation, however, we cannot forget that in more than a decade, there have been dozens of officials at the same directorate general who have also been convicted of corruption.

Over two years ago, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime & Investment Affairs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, reported Haris Azhar, the executive director of Lokataru & former coordinator of KontraS, and Fatia Maulidiyanti, the current coordinator of KontraS, to the Jakarta Metropolitan Police (Polda Metro Jaya). Prior to the decision, both activists accused the retired Army general of playing a role in the Wabu Block, a gold mine in Intan Jaya, Papua. They relayed the accusation in a virtual discussion aired on Haris Azhar’s YouTube channel. Some consider Luhut’s action repressive, but others support his move. Haris and Fatia face trial on April 3, 2023 and remain adamant that Luhut’s accusations are fabricated. Today, Jan. 8, 2024, the Panel of Judges released Haris and Fatia from all charges.