Fired Indonesian tax official’s wealth questioned after son’s assault case
- Rafael Alun Trisambodo was fired from the Jakarta tax office after the arrest of his son, Mario Dandy Satrio, who was charged with assaulting a 15-year-old boy
- Incident revealed the son’s luxurious lifestyle of flaunting expensive cars and motorbikes on social media, prompting questions about his father’s income
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the decision to remove Rafael Alun Trisambodo from the Jakarta tax office was based on an internal disciplinary exericse at the department.
Rafael’s son Mario Dandy Satrio was on Thursday charged with grievously assaulting a 15-year-old boy during a domestic dispute at a south Jakarta neighbourhood, police said.
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Mario, 20, faces five years in prison if found guilty, The Jakarta Post reported. The victim remains hospitalised in critical condition.
On Friday, a video of Mario’s arrest appeared on his Instagram account, captioned: “Sorry.”
“Starting today, the said official RAT is removed from his role and position,” she said, referring to Rafael by his initials.
Sri Mulyani also rebuked officials who showed off their wealth, saying such acts brought her ministry into disrepute.
According to Indonesia’s anti-corruption watchdog, Rafael has assets worth 56 billion rupiah (US$3.7 million), slightly less than the finance minister’s 58 billion rupiah.
As the backlash over his son’s behaviour grew on social media, the tax officer apologised to the victim whose father is a senior member of GP Ansor, the youth wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest moderate Islamic group.
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But Rafael’s explanation failed to convince social media users who doubted if his regret was “genuine”. Others said the father can’t be judged based on his son’s deeds and demanded stringent punishment for Mario.
“Hopefully this will be a lesson for all children of officials across Indonesia. Mario is arrogant because he has tonnes of his father’s money. Wish he gets the appropriate punishment,” wrote one user.
Others said Mario could get off scot-free using his father’s influence.
“Five years in prison? He will likely spend a few weeks and walk free as he knows his parents’ clout,” a user said.
Rafael said he will cooperate in the investigation into his wealth and the case involving his son.
