Blueray Boss Reveals New Suspect in Customs Corruption Case

Gatot Heroe Hernanda, Head of the Customs Supervision and Service Office (KPP) of Kediri, has reportedly been named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in an alleged corruption case.

The case is a development from the alleged bribery and/or gratification case related to goods imports within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise.

The suspect status was disclosed by John Field, owner of PT Blueray Cargo (Group), when he was questioned as a witness today.

John Field is himself a convict in the bribery and/or gratification case related to goods imports 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’ imprisonment.

“(Questioned as) a witness,” said John Field at the KPK’s Red-and-White Building in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon (22 July).

“Mr Gatot,” he added when asked to confirm the suspect named was Gatot.

Meanwhile, Acting Director of Investigations at the KPK, Achmad Taufik Husein, confirmed the news of the suspect’s naming.

“Since it has indeed been confirmed to the person concerned, it means it is true,” said Taufik Husein at the Red-and-White Building in Jakarta on Wednesday (22 July).

Earlier, during a hearing at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (21 July), John Field admitted to giving Rp3.2 billion to Gatot Heroe. He said he had delivered the money in an envelope marked with the code ‘PGH’.

John Field made the statement when he was presented by KPK prosecutors as a witness for the defendants, including Director of Customs Enforcement and Investigation Rizal and colleagues.

The KPK has just issued two new Investigation Warrants (Sprindik) related to the alleged corruption case within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance.

The new warrants are based on legal facts that emerged during the trial of John Field and colleagues in the goods import bribery case.

Under the first warrant, one person has already been named a suspect, whilst the second warrant has yet to name any suspects.

“If colleagues have been following the trial, the judges’ ruling already stated that the payments from Blueray totalled Rp91 billion. After we analysed and reviewed the results of the ongoing investigation regarding the recipients, that Rp91 billion was divided into several clusters, one of which concerns Customs,” said Acting Director of Investigations at the KPK, Achmad Taufik Husein, at the Red-and-White Building in Jakarta on Tuesday (21 July).

“There are others besides Customs, but still related, because this was mentioned in the ruling on the giver, Blueray. So we have issued two Sprindik related to this,” he continued.

Taufik was not yet able to provide detailed information on the two warrants, saying this would be announced to the public once the investigation process was complete.

“For the Customs cluster, we have already named a suspect. There is one, because it is still related to the legal construction of the Customs official’s case, so we named them directly,” Taufik explained.

“Then the second cluster is still related to the interests of Customs officials, but the facts of the case are different. That is the one for which we have issued a general Sprindik. This means we will name suspects later, once the two pieces of evidence are sufficient in the investigation,” he added.

The KPK has just announced it will not appeal the ruling by the panel of judges of the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court against the leaders of Blueray Cargo (Group).

As a result, John Field will serve two years in prison and pay a fine of Rp300 million, subsidiary to 100 days’ imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Dedy Kurniawan Sukolo, Port Customs Clearance Operational Manager at Blueray Cargo (Group), and Andri, Head of the Import Documentation Team at Blueray Cargo (Group), will each serve 1.5 years in prison and pay a fine of Rp200 million, subsidiary to 80 days’ imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the case against the Director of Enforcement and Investigation at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Rizal; Head of the Intelligence Sub-Directorate of the Enforcement and Investigation Directorate, Sisprian Subiaksono; Head of Customs Intelligence Section I of the Enforcement and Investigation Directorate, Orlando Hamonangan; and an employee of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Budiman Bayu Prasodjo, is still ongoing in court.

Other parties alleged to have received money but not yet processed legally include the Director General of Customs and Excise, Djaka Budhi Utama, who is alleged to have received Rp21 billion.

Then there is the former Head of the Marunda Customs Supervision and Service Office (KPPBC), Ahmad Dedi, also known as Dedi Congor, who is said to have received Rp30 billion, and Enov Puji Wijanarko, Head of Import Enforcement Section I of the Enforcement and Investigation Directorate, who is alleged to have received money and one Mazda CX-5 vehicle worth Rp330,000,000.