Jakarta. Disgraced tax official Rafael Alun Trisambodo, who two weeks ago was fired amid the ongoing graft investigation against him, has claimed that he kept huge cash in safe deposit boxes in an attempt to hide it from his own family members.

The money was not reported in his public filing and tax returns.

In an exclusive interview with Jakarta Globe's sister publication, BTV news broadcaster in Jakarta aired on Friday evening, Rafael also said that all his assets and cash were derived from lawful sources although he is now a corruption suspect.

Earlier in the day, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) confirmed that its investigators have seized “tens of billions of rupiah” kept in safe deposit boxes in foreign currencies from the suspect and also tens of top designer bags from his South Jakarta home.

Rafel denied that he was trying to hide the enormous amount of cash from law authorities.

“If I wanted to hide the money from [law authorities], the safe deposit boxes would have been registered in names other than myself,” he told BTV news anchor Fristian Griec.

“I actually hid the money from my wife and children because as a civil servant, I’m worried that if they know about it they will have the urge to spend on things that eventually will cost me the peace in managing the family.”

He said the money was gained from the sales of his properties and has been exchanged into foreign currencies since 2010.

Rafael admitted that he didn’t include the hidden cash in his wealth report to the KPK.

“I didn’t mention that in my LHKPN and my tax returns because I didn’t want my wife and my adult children to know about it,” he said, using the Indonesian acronym for the state-mandated State Official’s Asset and Wealth Report.

“My aim with the money is to be spent during my retirement for me and my wife alone, not for current expenses,” Rafael said.

Earlier this week, the KPK declared him a corruption suspect for allegedly taking bribes during the last 12 years in office.

The announcement came days after the Finance Ministry fired him for underreporting wealth and undeclared assets, 33 years since he began his career as a taxman.

“Everything I have built now falls to pieces,” he said.

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