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A House of Representatives’ working committee on tax mafia scandals on Monday accused troubled prosecutor Cirus Sinaga of delivering false testimony, and urged him to review the statements he was providing to them.  

A senior prosecutor who has handled many high-profile criminal cases, Cirus has been reported to the police by the Attorney General’s Office for allegedly leaking the sentencing demand documents in his handling of a case involving rogue tax official Gayus Tambunan. 

Under Cirus’s leadership of the prosecutorial team, Gayus was eventually acquitted of all charges in a controversial verdict in March 2010. 

At Monday’s committee hearing, Cirus told legislators he had never intended for Gayus to escape all charges. Cirus also denied that he had been in charge of the prosecutorial team. 

“There’s no head of the team. It’s just a coincidence that I am the most senior member of the prosecution team,” he said.

Gayus was sentenced to seven years in jail in January for having bribed law enforcers during his embezzlement trial in Tangerang in March last year. During that trial, the more serious charges of corruption and money-laundering were dropped in favor of a relatively minor embezzlement charge.

But testimony given on Monday by Eka Kurnia Sukmasari, another prosecutor assigned to the Gayus case, challenged Cirus’s claims.

Eka told the hearing that, from the beginning, the case had been unusual, adding that she had at one point remarked to her fellow prosecutors: “Would it not be apt if the Anti-Corruption Law was used in Gayus’s case?”

“I consulted on the matter with the head of the team, Pak Cirus Sinaga.” she said.

Her statements sparked harsh reactions from lawmakers.

“You said that all prosecution matters of this case were decided by all team members,” Benny K. Harman, chairman of House Commission III, overseeing legal affairs, said to Cirus. 

“You said there were no other suggestions made [by other team members]. But we finally learn that you didn’t respond to Eka Kurnia’s suggestion. You might have rights to lie in front of us, but you can’t do it in front of the people,” Benny continued.

The lawmakers demanded Cirus write up a new statement on the case, and said that it had to be approved by the AGO.

Cirus has been charged with forging court documents.