Businessman charged in Cirebon smuggling case<\/p>\n
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon<\/p>\n
A businessman in the Central Java city of Cirebon has been named
\nas a suspect in the smuggling of 14 containers carrying at least
\nfour luxury cars and hundreds of electronic goods inside, local
\nprosecutors said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Soenarko Kasidin, director of private company PT Tiang Grage
\nwhich is the owner of the illegal containers, has been declared a
\nsuspect in the case, said Basuki, intelligence division head of
\nthe Cirebon customs and excise office.<\/p>\n
He said that Soenarko has been charged with violating Law No.
\n10\/1995 on customs affairs in the smuggling case.<\/p>\n
Basuki said that more suspects could be named as his office
\nwas expanding the investigation to include local customs
\nofficials and other local authorities, including the state-owned
\nport management of PT Pelindo, which is based in Cirebon.<\/p>\n
\"For sure, there is still only one suspect. We are still
\ndeveloping the investigation, and it is very likely that there
\nwill be more suspects,\" Basuki said.<\/p>\n
Basuki said that his office has appointed four senior
\nprosecutors for the case, which has cost the state about Rp 20.5
\nbillion in financial losses.<\/p>\n
In a separate event on Wednesday, Soenarko rejected the
\naccusations, arguing that the investigation was rife with
\nprocedural irregularities.
\n*********<\/p>\n
\"As an importer, I am objected to named as a suspect. There
\nare many irregularities in making the decision,\" he said without
\nelaborating.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Cirebon customs and excise office has been
\naccused of refusing to open the 14 containers and five others
\nsmuggled via the local seaport in January.<\/p>\n
It should have been opened on Monday by customs officials
\nalong with police and an investigation team from the Cirebon
\nlegislative council as well as prosecutors.<\/p>\n
But because head of the West Java provincial customs and
\nexcise office Heru Santoso failed to show up, the opening
\nceremony was canceled.<\/p>\n
\"The unloading could not be conducted because officials from
\nthe West Java customs and excise office did not come,\" Bambang
\nTri Hono, a spokesman for the Cirebon customs office, said
\nwithout further elaborating.<\/p>\n
Reached on Wednesday, he insisted on refusing to give a reason
\nfor his office's refusal to immediately unload the illegal
\ncontainers.<\/p>\n
Suspicions have surfaced that the containers had been emptied
\nor its contents were unloaded and filled up with other goods.<\/p>\n
When Customs and Excise Director General Permana Agung
\ninspected the Cirebon seaport last month, he only opened three of
\nthe 14 smuggled containers.<\/p>\n
At least four luxurious cars were found inside two of the
\nthree containers, while another one consisted of dozens of
\nelectronic goods.<\/p>\n
The 14 containers had been disappeared from the warehouse of
\nthe local custom office but were eventually discovered by the
\nlegislative council's team at a warehouse of PT Yogadani Gemilang
\nbelonging to local businessman identified only as Jhony.<\/p>\n
Known for close relations with senior military and police
\nofficers in Cirebon, Jhony's legal status remains unclear in the
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
The illegal containers are now sitting at the Cirebon seaport
\nafter having been moved from Jhony's warehouse on Thursday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/businessman-charged-in-cirebon-smuggling-case-1447893297",
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