British boss held hostage over tax bill

A BRITISH executive is being held hostage by Indonesian authorities because his company allegedly owes millions of pounds in unpaid taxes.

Mark Greenwood, managing director at oil and gas firm Indo-Pacific Resources (Java), was taken into custody on Monday and is being held in a jail in Jakarta.

He is thought to be the first foreigner detained under a recent presidential decree that allows executives to be held if their companies owe tax. Authorities said Indo-Pacific owed 45bn rupiah (£3.14m). Greenwood would be jailed until the bill was settled.

Hadi Purnomo, Indonesia's director-general for taxation, said: 'For the sake of showing that everybody is equal under Indonesian laws, that expatriate is now being held hostage.'

Indo-Pacific Resources and parent, Canada-based Fortune Oil & Gas, were not available for comment.

Eleanor Kiloh, second secretary at the British Embassy in Jakarta, said officials were in touch with Greenwood, whose lawyers were attempting to secure his release. 'We can't interfere in the judicial process,' she added. 'We just offer consular assistance.'