Blueray Trial Reveals Hundreds of Millions for Customs Officials' Karaoke

The personal assistant to the director of PT Blueray Cargo (Group) John Field, Yohanes Setiawan, has revealed entertainment costs recorded by the company under the code ‘Sales 02’ and intended for a number of officials at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance. This was conveyed by Yohanes when he was presented as a witness by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) public prosecutor at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday (14/7). Sitting as defendants are the Head of the Intelligence Sub-Directorate of the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Sisprian Subiaksono, and his associates. Initially, the prosecutor asked Yohanes about the alleged preparation of entertainment funds. Yohanes explained that it was not the preparation of cash, but rather expenditure for entertainment activities recorded by the company’s finance division. ‘The nature is not preparation, sir, but rather entertainment. Then we record it in our finance division. The entertainment is with Customs and Excise officials, and in our office it is referred to by the code ’Sales 02’,’ Yohanes said before the court. The prosecutor then probed the entertainment facilities provided by Blueray Cargo (Group) and the Customs and Excise officials involved. Yohanes revealed that one entertainment event he attended took place at Spectra Grand Mercure with Orlando Hamonangan, the Head of Customs Intelligence Section I of the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation. Yohanes said all entertainment costs were paid using the company’s credit card. ‘An example I experienced directly was at the Grand Mercure, karaoke with Mr Orlando,’ he said. Yohanes explained that the credit card had been prepared by the company to cover all bills for the entertainment of Customs and Excise officials. He said he was only responsible for handling entertainment for Orlando, while other officials were handled by different staff. ‘It could be hundreds of millions, yes. I cannot state the exact amount, sir,’ he claimed. In its indictment, the prosecutor stated that a number of Customs and Excise officials received money from John Field as the owner, Dedy Kurniawan Sukolo as the Port Customs Clearance Operations Manager, and Andri as the Head of the Import Document Team at Blueray Cargo (Group) totalling Rp61,743,597,000 in Singapore dollars and in the form of entertainment facilities and luxury goods worth Rp1,846,221,515 or at least that amount. Sisprian is alleged to have received a share of Rp7 billion; the Director of Enforcement and Investigation of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Rizal, allegedly received a share of Rp14 billion in Singapore dollars; and the Head of Customs Intelligence Section I of the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation, Orlando Hamonangan, allegedly received a share of Rp4.05 billion in Singapore dollars and luxury goods worth Rp1,516,221,515. The money was intended to ensure that Sisprian and his colleagues would expedite the customs clearance process for Blueray Cargo (Group) imported goods. In addition to bribery, there are charges of receiving gratuities, namely receiving money totalling Rp7,517,500,000; Sin$314,755; Sin$182,800; HKD4,700; RM8,100; or at least that amount from several private parties, including import entrepreneurs and cigarette businesses, as well as other parties whose business activities are related to the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise.