Gayus Tambunan & A Sense of Humour...

When one is facing some time in the 'big house' it is important to maintain a sense of humour in facing such circumstances. Gayus Tambunan, the tax officer at the centre of a corruption scandal that touches a lot of the big names in Indonesian politics and business, in his final plea to the South Jakarta District Court asked to be made a member of the expert staff of the Chief of Police.

His plea also suggested if not the Chief of Police then he could produce equally excellent outcomes as an expert staff member at either the Office of the Attorney General or at the Office of the Head of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

With a bit of luck Gayus will see the inside of a jail cell for the crimes he has committed. By his own admission he is a corruptor. Hopefully, this time he will be afforded the opportunity to stare at the walls for 23 hours a day rather than enjoy jaunts to the tennis or overseas to Singapore, Thailand, Macau, or Mainland China.

The rest of the plea focused on how he was but a bit player, a small fish, in the corruption scheme and he fully supports the president, SBY, in his drive to eradicate corruption from the Republic of Indonesia. The cynic in me says, "of course you do!" Let's face it, you have been caught. If you had not been caught out then in all likelihood you would still be trying to fleece big business using the schemes that made you so much money in the first place.

To suggest that you have now seen the error of your ways and support the anti-corruption drive is nothing more than a desperate cry from a desperate man. Where was your support for the president's anti-corruption drive when you were bribing judges, police and prison guards?

Nevertheless, the funny in the plea was the request to be made an expert staff member of the Chief of Police. However, Gayus seemed serious in his claim that if he was made an expert staff member of the Chief of Police then he would be instrumental in eradicating corruption within two years. Gayus, not only do you have a sense of humour, but you also have a wonderful imagination. Seriously, Gayus, what makes you think you can achieve what so many others have failed to achieve since 1998?

Sri Mulyani Indrawati went hammer and tong to ensure that corruption and the culture of corruption was torn down in her spheres of influence when she was a minister. Her reward was to be hung out to dry by the president. In a shrewd move she is now at the world bank (there is more than one way to skin a cat - that is the saying, right?).

With a bit of luck Gayus you will receive a sentence that will afford you many years to think about your fantasy. Alternatively, you could write a confessional, tell all, name names autobiography about your 15 minutes of fame as a corrupt tax official that titillated the odd Indonesian with your international travel itinerary from your pre-conviction detention days.