"The attorney general has reported to me that he will work with the World Bank and the IAACA to convince the banks in Switzerland that the funds in Gayus` accounts were generated through criminal acts."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government is to cooperate with the World Bank and the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) to help bring back graft convict Gayus Tambunan`s assets stashed away in Swiss banks, a minister said.

"The attorney general has reported to me that he will work with the World Bank and the IAACA to convince the banks in Switzerland that the funds in Gayus` accounts were generated through criminal acts," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said here on Friday after a meeting with Vice President Boediono and other senior officials.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Basrief Arief said the cooperation with the WB and IAACA was needed to bridge a difference in perception between the Indonesian government and the Swiss banks.

"The Swiss authorities considered the case of Gayus` assets as a banking problem while the government sees the assets purely as the gains a crime," he said.

Gayus` case came under the spotlight after the police named him suspect in connection with a suspicious Rp25 billion bank account in his name.

Last January, Gayus Tambunan was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a panel of judges at the South Jakarta District Court.

"The defendant has been proven guilty and is hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment," presiding judge Albertina Ho said when reading out the verdict.

Gayus was also ordered to pay a fine of 300 million rupiah in lieu of six additional months in prison.

In an earlier court session the prosecution had demanded a prison sentence of 20 years for Gayus.

Gayus was said to have violated four articles, namely article 2 paragraph (1) juncto article 18 of the Law on the Corruption Court (Tipikor) juncto article 55 paragraph (1) to-1 of the Criminal Code (KUHP), and article 3 juncto article 18 Tipikor Law juncto article 55 paragraph (1) to-1 of the Criminal Code.
(Uu.A051/HAJM/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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