Finance Minister to Provide Legal Assistance to Customs Director General After Name Emerges in Corruption Case
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has confirmed that the Ministry of Finance will provide legal assistance to the Director General of Customs and Excise, Djaka Budhi Utama.
He made this statement when questioned about the ministry’s steps after Djaka’s name surfaced in an alleged corruption case within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC), currently under investigation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
“There will definitely be legal assistance if Mr Djaka is summoned or anything like that. Others have it too,” Purbaya said at the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta on Thursday, 7 May 2026.
However, Purbaya stressed that the legal assistance does not aim to intervene in the ongoing legal process. “Not an intervention,” he stated.
When asked if he had communicated with Djaka Budhi regarding the appearance of his name in the alleged DJBC corruption case, Purbaya confirmed it.
He said that according to Djaka’s admission, he would follow the applicable legal process.
“We have (communicated). He will follow the applicable legal process. There’s nothing yet, it’s still new,” he remarked.
It is known that the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) of the Ministry of Finance, through the Deputy Head of Public Relations and Customs Education Subdivision, Budi Prasetiyo, affirmed that they would respect the court process involving the name of Director General of Customs and Excise, Djaka Budhi Utama.
Djaka’s name emerged in the indictment of the defendant and owner of Blueray Cargo, John Field. Nevertheless, Budi stated that they would uphold the principle of presumption of innocence.
“Since this case has entered the trial stage, to respect and maintain the independence of that process, we will not comment on the substance of the case,” Budi said in his statement on Thursday, 7 May 2026.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is still awaiting developments in the investigation of the alleged corruption case within DJBC after Djaka’s name surfaced. KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo explained that the investigation into the alleged corruption at Customs and Excise is still ongoing, following the KPK investigators’ discovery of a sum of money during a search some time ago.
Previously, on 4 February 2026, the KPK conducted a sting operation (OTT) within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance. In that operation, one of the parties secured was the Head of the West Sumatra Regional Customs Office, Rizal.