KPK Supervisory Board Urged to Ensure Thorough Handling of Corruption Cases

The Center for Budget Analysis (CBA) has requested that the Supervisory Board of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) evaluate the consistency of handling alleged bribery and gratification cases related to imports within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC). The CBA assesses that the case, which began with a sting operation on 4 February 2026, has since developed into at least ten clusters, yet not all have clarity regarding legal follow-up. CBA Executive Director Uchok Sky Khadafi stated that the KPK needs to provide certainty on the progress of each cluster that has emerged in press conferences, trial facts, official examination reports, and media coverage. “If the KPK has publicised the existence of new clusters, then the public has a right to know whether they are genuinely being investigated or merely publicised. If the evidence is sufficient, proceed. If not, explain. Do not let everything hang in the balance,” Uchok said in Jakarta on Monday, 6 July 2026. According to Uchok, the customs case should not stop at the main case involving PT Blueray Cargo. He assessed that the KPK must maintain consistency between the information conveyed to the public and the progress of the field investigation. “One name or one cluster should not be highlighted in a press conference while the status of other clusters appearing in official reports and trials is left unexplained. This could create a perception of imbalance in case handling,” he said. The CBA also highlighted the ‘rule set targeting’ cluster that surfaced during the trial. According to Uchok, if the customs risk management system can indeed be influenced, the issue is no longer merely about bribery but involves alleged interference with the state’s surveillance system. Furthermore, the CBA questioned the follow-up regarding approximately 20 forwarder companies previously mentioned as having been examined by the KPK at various ports. To date, he noted, there has been no explanation as to whether these companies were merely examined as witnesses, as part of network mapping, or if their legal status could potentially be escalated. “There needs to be a case map. Do not let the logistics industry live under a shadow of suspicion without certainty,” Uchok concluded. Attention was also directed at the Semarang cluster following the KPK’s search of Heri Setiyono’s residence, the seizure of containers at Tanjung Emas Port, and the examination of several parties. The CBA believes that if the allegations of payments to DJBC officials are supported by sufficient evidence, this cluster deserves to be considered as a separate case.