Purbaya on Djaka Budhi Utama's Fate: Decision Next Week

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa spoke regarding the name of the Director General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance, Djaka Budhi Utama, who is entangled in a bribery case within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Ministry of Finance. Djaka is alleged to have received US$213,000 related to an import bribery case involving Blueray Cargo owner, John Field. In response, Purbaya said he would follow the orders of President Prabowo Subianto. However, he did not clearly explain what orders were given by the President. ‘I will follow the President’s instructions,’ Purbaya said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday, 22 May 2026. It is known that when he spoke at a plenary session of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, President Prabowo briefly ordered Purbaya to replace the leadership of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise if the problem could not be resolved. According to Purbaya, Djaka Budhi’s fate will be determined next week. He neither denied nor confirmed whether Djaka would be dismissed from his post. ‘Well, we’ll see next week,’ he said. When asked for clarity whether Djaka Budhi would be replaced next week, the former head of the Deposit Insurance Agency (LPS) said, ‘There is a strong sentiment to remove Djaka Budhi Utama quickly. We’ll see how it develops.’ The trial of the private sector defendants in the import bribery case within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance entered its evidence phase at the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. The three defendants are Blueray Cargo Group owner John Field; Blueray Cargo Documentation Team Leader Andri; and Blueray Cargo Operations Manager Dedi Kurniawan Sukolo. They are charged with bribing officials at Customs to speed up the inspection of Blueray’s imported goods. In court, prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named the Director General of Customs and Excise Djaka Budhi Utama. The prosecutor revealed there were monthly fee payments from Blueray Cargo to Djaka and several other Customs officials. The prosecutor also displayed photographs of envelopes and transfer tables from December 2025. Jihan Ristiyanti contributed to this article.