Prosecutor Asks Customs Bribery Defendant: Do You Feel Regret?

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) public prosecutor asked the defendant in the Customs Directorate General bribery case, Rizal, whether he felt regret regarding the bribery scandal. Rizal admitted to feeling regret over the bribery case within Customs.

This was stated by Rizal, the former Director of Enforcement and Investigation (P2) of Customs, during a trial held at the Jakarta Central Corruption Court on Friday (2/10/2026). Initially, the prosecutor asked Rizal about his deepest feelings.

“We want to know, what was the defendant’s deepest feeling that was conveyed earlier? What kind of regret is that?” asked KPK prosecutor M. Takdir Suhan.

“Yes, this regret exists, Sir. From the trial facts and everything, indeed, John Field has also been sentenced. This means there was indeed bribery provided, isn’t that so?” Rizal replied.

Rizal claimed that he had been monitoring and evaluating the actions of his subordinates. During every evaluation, he felt that what was done by the convict in this case, John Field, the owner of PT Blueray Cargo, should not have been possible.

“I monitor and evaluate based on our activity results, and every time we evaluate, I feel it would be impossible for something like what John Field did to my members to occur, because there is no point in him flaunting money, there is no point. Why would they give money if all treatment is the same? Equal treatment is my principle,” he continued.

Rizal then admitted that he had not performed optimal supervision over his subordinates, which, in his view, allowed the bribery case to occur.

“Yes, perhaps what I regret is why that still happened, Prosecutor. For me, it is possible that I was not optimal in conducting close supervision of my subordinates, so that it could happen, like that,” he said.

The prosecutor then asked Rizal whether he felt he acted as a ‘bumper’ (protector/shield).

“Does the defendant feel he was a bumper?” asked the prosecutor.

“No. I was not a bumper. But as the Director of P2, I must be a bumper for my members, whatever the case may be,” Rizal answered.

For the record, three officials from the Ministry of Finance’s Customs department are accused of receiving bribes and gratifications amounting to Rp 78.8 billion. Prosecutors stated that the bribes and gratifications were received in both Rupiah and foreign currencies.

The indictment trial was held at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Friday (3/7). The three Customs officials are Rizal, as the Director of Enforcement and Investigation; Sisprian Subiaksono, as the Head of the Intelligence Sub-directorate of Enforcement and Investigation; and Orlando Hamonangan, as the Head of Customs Intelligence Section I of the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation.