Scam revealed, Megawati urged to axe customs chief
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon
The 14 smuggled containers with luxurious sedans and electronic goods inside, which had disappeared last week from the Cirebon customs and excise office in West Java, were discovered at a warehouse belonging to a businessman linked to senior military and police officers, local legislators said on Friday.
"The containers disappeared from the customs and excise office and are now sitting in a warehouse belonging to PT Yogadani Gemilang in Mundu subdistrict, Cirebon," speaker of the city's legislative council (DPRD) Suryana said.
He said the warehouse is owned by a businessman identified as Jhoni who is close to local senior military and police officers.
The outspoken chief legislator, who leads a DPRD team investigating the scam that caused Rp 20.5 billion of losses to the state, admitted he and other team members have frequently received ominously threatening phone calls from unidentified people.
Suryana said the callers warned him against going ahead with the move to track down the smuggling case. They also tried to bribe him.
He said the team had also uncovered a suspected conspiracy involving customs officials, other bureaucrats, businessmen and security forces in the scam.
A notorious youth organization linked to former president Soeharto's New Order regime also allegedly played a role in the case.
Suryana said secret meetings had taken place at least twice at the city's Prima Hotel before the 14 illegal containers disappeared a week ago.
"The meetings were attended by high-ranking officers from the police, the military, the Cirebon seaport, the mayoralty office and the customs office," he said.
He said the findings were based on the testimonies by Bambang Tri Hone, head of the prevention and investigation division with the customs and excise office.
"We will continue to find out who else attended the meetings," added Suryana, who also chairs the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) of the Cirebon branch.
He said his party urged President Megawati Soekarnoputri fire Customs and Excise Director General Permana Agung from his post for his failure to take serious action to punish those responsible in the scam.
"Since Permana Agung serves as the customs and excise director general, the state has lost tens of trillions of rupiah as a result of smuggling practices. It has clearly proven that he is incapable of doing his job," he said.
"The smuggling case in Cirebon is just he tip of an iceberg that should be soon cleared up. One of the ways is that the President should be bold enough to remove Permana Agung."
The 14 containers were part of 19 others with four luxurious sedans and large quantities of electronic merchandise inside, which were confiscated and held by customs officials on Jan. 10 at the Cirebon port.
On Tuesday, PDI Perjuangan, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) -- all based in Cirebon -- threatened to mobilize thousands of their supporters to storm the local customs and excise office.
The planned mobilization was also backed by the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) on Thursday.
The parties agreed to work together to occupy the office, pending the results of the investigation into the scandal by the DPRD team.
In a reaction to the protests, members of the group accused of involvement in the scandal have been seen guarding the warehouse of the customs and excise office.
The alleged role of local military and police officers in the case has further surfaced as all of them have often tried to avoid meeting with journalists asking about the matter.