From Harley Davidsons to RX Kings: The Tax Office Director General's Wealth Under Scrutiny Following Subordinate's Actions

The wealth of Suryo Utomo, the Director General of Taxes, has recently come under scrutiny following the case involving his subordinate, Rafael Alun Trisambodo.

Rafael Alun, a rank III official at the Ministry of Finance, is the father of Mario Dandy Satrio, who is involved in a case of assault against the child of a GP Ansor official. Mario frequently flaunted his wealth on social media, prompting public scrutiny of his parents' assets.

After public investigation, Rafael Alun's wealth reached Rp56 billion, as reported in the State Officials' Wealth Report (LHKPN) of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The scrutiny then extended to other tax officials, including Suryo. This is because old photos and videos of him riding a large motorcycle (moge) with senior officials of the Directorate General of Taxes went viral on social media.

However, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani ensured that Suryo's wealth was obtained honestly.

"I asked about the sources of his income, 'I asked you if you are sure you are right?' Then he said 'yes, Ma'am'. I believe you are right, tell the public," said Sri Mulyani, as quoted from Katadata.co.id, Tuesday (28/2).

Based on the KPK's LHKPN, Suryo Utomo is recorded as having assets worth Rp14.45 billion in 2021. He reported his assets on February 19, 2022.

From the report, most of Suryo's assets are in the form of land and buildings spread across Bekasi, South Jakarta, and Bogor. He is recorded as owning 13 land and building assets with a total value of Rp14.16 billion.

In addition, Suryo is also recorded as owning 11 units of transportation and machinery, comprising 6 motorcycles and 5 cars totaling Rp947 million. There are also several large motorcycles, such as a Harley Davidson and a Yamaha RX King.

Here is a breakdown of Suryo's transportation and machinery assets in the 2021 LHKPN:

* 2004 Toyota IST: Rp100 million
* 1997 Honda Supra Motorcycle: Rp1 million
* 2014 Hyundai Tucson: Rp270 million
* 2015 Honda Beat Motorcycle: Rp10 million
* 2005 Yamaha Motorcycle: Rp3 million
* 2008 Suzuki Futura: Rp40 million
* 2003 Harley Davidson Motorcycle: Rp155 million
* 2019 Kawasaki ER6 Motorcycle: Rp52 million
* 1996 Yamaha RX King Motorcycle: Rp16 million
* 1956 Jeep Willys: Rp100 million
* 1997 Jeep Cherokee: Rp200 million

Furthermore, Suryo also has assets in the form of cash and cash equivalents worth Rp2.79 billion and other movable assets worth Rp1.54 billion. He is recorded as having no securities and other assets.

However, Suryo reported that he has debts amounting to Rp5 billion. Therefore, the Director General of Taxes has total assets worth Rp14.45 billion.

Suryo's wealth has increased by almost Rp5 billion since he was first appointed to the position in 2019. Sri Mulyani stated that, according to Suryo's explanation, the increase was due to changes in land prices.

Following public scrutiny of the luxurious lifestyles of tax officials, Sri Mulyani finally ordered the disbandment of the tax officials' large motorcycle club. The reason is that it relates to the principles of propriety and public trust in the behavior of state officials.

"So, even though it was obtained from halal money, obtained from your salary. Then the tax official said riding a large motorcycle is to relax a bit, well, now the relaxation doesn't have to be riding a large motorcycle, walk with me around Senayan, eat chicken porridge, that's also healthy," said Sri Mulyani.