Blueray Boss Reveals New Suspect in Customs Corruption Case

Gatot Heroe Hernanda, Head of the Kediri Customs and Excise Supervision and Service Office (KPP), has reportedly been named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in a graft case. This matter is an extension of the case involving alleged bribery and/or gratification related to the importation of goods within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. The suspect status was disclosed by John Field, owner of PT Blueray Cargo (Group), during his examination as a witness. Field is a convicted individual in the bribery and gratuity case concerning goods importation at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. The panel of judges at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced John Field to two years in prison and a fine of Rp300 million, subsidiary to 100 days of imprisonment. “(Examined as a) witness,” said John Field at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon. “Mr Gatot,” he continued when confirming the examination for suspect Gatot. Meanwhile, Acting Director of Investigation at the KPK, Achmad Taufik Husein, confirmed the news of the suspect’s designation. “Because it has been confirmed to the person concerned, it means it is true,” said Taufik Husein. Previously, during a trial at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday, John Field admitted to giving Rp3.2 billion to Gatot Heroe. He stated the money was given in an envelope coded ‘PGH’. This was conveyed by John Field when presented by KPK prosecutors as a witness for the defendant, Director of Enforcement and Investigation of Customs and Excise Rizal and colleagues. The KPK has recently issued two new Investigation Orders (Sprindik) related to the alleged corruption case within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance. These new warrants are based on legal facts that emerged during the trial of the goods importation bribery case involving John Field and others. The first Sprindik already has one person named as a suspect, while the second Sprindik has no suspects yet. “If you follow the trial, the judge’s verdict already stated that the total payment from Blueray was Rp91 billion. After we analysed and reviewed the results of the ongoing investigation regarding the recipients, there are several clusters from that Rp91 billion, one of which is the Customs cluster,” said Acting Director of Investigation at the KPK, Achmad Taufik Husein. “There is a cluster besides Customs, but it is still related because it has been mentioned in the verdict regarding the Blueray giver. So, there are two investigation warrants related to this that we have issued,” he continued. Taufik could not provide detailed information about the two warrants, stating that it would be conveyed to the public once the investigation process is complete. “For the Customs cluster, we have already named one suspect. Because it is still related to the construction of the Customs official’s case, we immediately designated them,” Taufik revealed. “The second cluster is still related to the interests of Customs officials, but the event is different. For that one, we have issued a general investigation warrant. This means we will name a suspect after the investigation process has gathered sufficient evidence,” he added. The KPK recently stated it would not appeal the verdict handed down by the panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court against the Blueray Cargo Group leadership. Consequently, John Field will serve a two-year prison sentence and a fine of Rp300 million, subsidiary to 100 days of imprisonment. Meanwhile, Dedy Kurniawan Sukolo, Operational Manager of Custom Clearance at the Port for Blueray Cargo, and Andri, Head of the Import Document Team at Blueray Cargo, will each serve 1.5 years in prison and pay a fine of Rp200 million, subsidiary to 80 days of imprisonment. The case against Director of Enforcement and Investigation at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Rizal; Sub-Director of Intelligence, Sisprian Subiaksono; Head of Customs Intelligence Section I, Orlando Hamonangan; and Directorate General of Customs and Excise employee, Budiman Bayu Prasodjo, is still ongoing in court. Other parties are suspected of receiving money but have not yet been processed legally, including Director General of Customs and Excise Djaka Budhi Utama, who allegedly received Rp21 billion. Also implicated are former Head of the Marunda Customs Office, Ahmad Dedi alias Dedi Congor, who allegedly received Rp30 billion, and Enov Puji Wijanarko, Head of the Import Enforcement Section I, who allegedly received money and a Mazda CX-5 car worth Rp330 million.