KPK Names Kediri Customs Chief as New Suspect in Customs Corruption Case

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has confirmed the designation of Gatot Heroe Hernanda, Head of the Kediri Customs Office, as a new suspect in a corruption case within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance. Acting Director of KPK Investigations Achmad Taufik Husein confirmed this after convicted customs case figure John Field stated he was questioned by the anti-graft body on Wednesday regarding a new investigation implicating Gatot Heroe as a suspect. “So, if that has been conveyed by the person concerned or John Field, yes, it is correct, there is already an investigation warrant against the person concerned (Gatot Heroe, ed.),” Taufik said at the KPK’s Merah Putih Building in Jakarta on Wednesday. However, he explained that initially the KPK could not publicly announce the suspect status of the former Head of the Customs Enforcement Sub-Directorate. “Because the team at the beginning of the investigation needed additional activities, so we had not officially announced it, but earlier it was mentioned there were two investigation warrants. It was also obtained from an external party (John Field, ed.), so the KPK is merely confirming it,” he added. Taufik stated that the KPK named Gatot Heroe as a suspect based on sufficient evidence. He added that Gatot Heroe had been examined several times at the start of the case investigation, following the sting operation. “The person concerned has been examined several times, of course, in the first investigation process. If I am not mistaken, at the beginning he was examined twice, and we already have his examination report, which then became the basis for his direct designation in the developing investigation process of the Customs case,” he said. The case originated from a sting operation within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance on 4 February 2026. The KPK initially named six suspects on 5 February 2026. They were Rizal, Director of Customs Enforcement and Investigation for the 2024-January 2026 period who was serving as Head of the West Sumatra Regional Customs Office; Sisprian Subiaksono, Head of the Customs Enforcement and Investigation Intelligence Sub-Directorate; and Orlando Hamonangan, Head of the Customs Intelligence Section.