A man who was arrested for assault has come under even more public scrutiny after people learned that he has been living large as the son of a tax official.
Police said that on Monday, a young man identified by his initials MDS brought along a friend to assault another young man named D in South Jakarta over a personal conflict. D, the son of the leader of the Islamic organization GP Ansor, suffered injuries so severe that he has fell into a coma and is now under intensive treatment at a hospital.
Authorities noted that MDS drove his Jeep Wrangler Rubicon — considered a luxury SUV in Indonesia — to the scene of the assault. The vehicle reportedly sported a fake customized license plate.
Soon after the incident, a thread on Twitter went viral detailing MDS’ lavish lifestyle as the son of a tax official. Though the official was not named, the thread noted that he preferred to stay out of the public eye to avoid scrutiny for his wealth, but his son routinely flaunted their riches on social media.
The public scrutiny towards MDS has even prompted a reaction from Finance Minister Sri Mulyani.
“The Ministry of Finance condemns the lavish lifestyle displayed by the family member of a ministry employee, which has eroded the trust towards the ministry’s integrity and created a negative reputation towards other ministry employees who work with honesty, integrity, and professionalism,” the former World Bank managing director wrote in a statement today.
Sri Mulyani implored the public to continue to hold the ministry and public officials accountable.
MDS has been charged with aggravated assault under the Criminal Code, which is punishable by up to five years in prison.
