THE sole judge hearing the case in the South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday last week, Syafrullah Sumar, handed down his verdict. “The seizure of the evidence is declared invalid. It is hereby ordered that seized tax documents be returned to PT Asian Agri,” he said. He then struck the gavel three times.

Judge Syafrullah’s verdict shocked officials at the Directorate General for Tax. For more than a year they had been working hard examin