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The National Police on Thursday rejected claims by Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, formerly the force’s chief of detectives, that three high-ranking police officials received Rp 25 billion ($2.75 million) in bribes to halt a tax-evasion investigation.

During the launch of his biography last week, Susno said that before he was removed from his post last year, two police generals and a chief commissioner had received bribes to stop the case. During a news conference on Thursday, he identified the officials by their rank and initials only as Brig. Gen. RE, Brig. Gen. E, and Chief Comr. E. Susno gave no details on the tax-evasion case. 

A spokesman for the National Police, incensed that Susno refused an invitation to discuss his allegations with them on Thursday, denied the claims.

“There was no police officer who received money when they were handling this case. There is no right for any police officers to withdraw that money, since that money does not belong to us,” National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang told a news conference.

The National Police said the case began when its detective division received a report from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) in October that it had found a suspicious transaction of Rp 25 billion in an account belonging to Gayus Tambunan, a tax official.

“We then began tracking it, because as an ordinary tax official who just started his career — and he’s just 30 years old — how he could have this much money?” Edward said.

He said they were only able to prove that Rp 395 million of the total was illegal, allegedly received from a tax consultant and the consultant’s client. Police then named Tambunan a suspect, but also unfroze the account, which police say still contains Rp 24.5 billion. Susno claims the sum was actually a bribe for the police officials.

“We still don’t know from where Tambunan got the rest of the money, which is almost Rp 24.5 billion. According to Tambunan, that money actually is not his own but belongs to a businessman from Batam named Andi Kosasih,” Edward said.

Police said Kosasih had transferred the money to Tambunan because he wanted to buy land in Jakarta.

“We continued to investigate this case and we invited Pak Susno to come ... but he did not appear. We are questioning why he did not want to come and we will send a second invitation letter.”

Brig. Gen. Radja Erisman, the director of economic crimes at the National Police, denied Susno’s allegations.

“I knew that the case-broker nest was in Susno’s office,” he said, referring to officials who help bribe officials to stop investigations and court cases.

This isn’t the first time Susno has made controversial allegations against top National Police officials. He also suggested that a police probe into the Bank Century bailout was terminated to protect the election bid of Vice President Boediono.

The House of Representatives Commission III on legal and political affairs plans to question National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri about Susno’s allegations over the tax-evasion case.