19/09/2011 (Tempo Interactive) - Palm oil company Asian Agri is considered to have manipulated taxes. The Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) found Rp1.29 trillion in state losses in a tax embezzlement case linked to the company.

The amount was larger compared to the findings of the Finance Ministry’s Directorate General of Taxation - Rp 1.25 trillion.

The manipulation was revealed on Thursday in the testimony of Arman Sahri Harahap, the Jakarta BPKP Representative of Investigation Division chairman. Arman gave his testimony against defendant Suwir Laut, Asian Agri’s Tax Manager, at the Central Jakarta District Court.

Arman, the expert witness presented by the prosecutor to the court, suspected that Asian Agri has manipulated the company’s financial statement by recording financial data which did not corresponded to facts. “There are charges which [amount] was not in accordance with the actual condition,” said Arman.