Twenty-year-old Mario Dandy Satrio is pictured after being named a suspect in an assault case on Feb 23. - The Jakarta Post
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): The South Jakarta Police have arrested Mario Dandy Satrio, the son of a Jakarta Tax Office official, and named him a suspect in an assault case that has exposed the lavish lifestyle of some tax officers in the country.
Mario was charged with aggravated assault and could be sentenced to five years in prison if found guilty, South Jakarta Police spokesperson Adj Sr Comr Nurma Devi said on Thursday (Feb 23).
Nurma said that based on interviews with witnesses and the suspect, the assault was the result of a dispute between friends. The victim is now receiving intensive medical care. The case has caused an uproar after revelations about the suspect's lavish lifestyle.
Witnesses said Mario drove a Rubicon Jeep SUV to the site of the assault. Some social media users have also found documentation suggesting the suspect’s strong interest in fast cars and big bikes.
Following the revelation that the suspect was related to an official from the Jakarta Tax Office, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati condemned the assault and the apparently lavish lifestyle and pledged that she would impose disciplinary action on officials who were engaged in corruption.
On Thursday, Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Chill Qoumas called for a full and transparent investigation into the assault after learning that the victim was the son of a high-ranking member of Nahdlatul Ulama's (NU) youth wing, GP Ansor.
Yaqut served as chairman of GP Ansor before being appointed religious affairs minister in 2020.
"The son of a cadre is my son too. Please note that," Yaqut posted from his Twitter handle @YaqutCQoumas on Thursday. S
eparately, GP Ansor issued a statement to condemn the assault and call for a thorough and impartial investigation.
"We call for justice in this case and don't want any intervention," GP Ansor said in a statement. The Tax Office has launched an internal investigation against Mario's father, identified as Rafael Alun Trisambodo, and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati is expected to summon the tax official.
"Currently, the Finance Ministry's inspector general is working with the compliance division of the Tax Office to summon the official for an investigation," Finance Ministry spokesperson Yustinus Prastowo said in a statement.
