Thick Envelopes from Cargo Firm to Customs Official Make Prosecutor Exclaim 'Wow'

The Head of Excise Intelligence Section II at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Budiman Bayu Prasojo, has admitted to receiving thick envelopes of money from a cargo company. A prosecutor exclaimed ‘wow’ upon hearing the testimony during a corruption trial. Budiman made the statement while testifying as a witness in a bribery and gratuity case involving customs officials. He acknowledged receiving envelopes from PT Blueray. ‘How did you come to receive the money prepared by Blu Ray?’ the prosecutor asked during the hearing at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court. ‘I don’t know why it was given. Orlando told me he was giving me an envelope. I asked, “What is this?” and he said “From BlueRay”. After that, I accepted it and reported it to my superior, Mr Sisprian, at the time,’ Budiman replied. The Orlando and Sisprian mentioned are defendants in the case. Orlando served as Head of Customs Intelligence Section I at the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation, while Sisprian Subiaksono was the Sub-Directorate Head of Intelligence. Budiman stated the money from the envelope was used for a joint ‘operational fund’. ‘I got this and asked, “This is from Blueray, what is it for?” The answer I remember from Mr Sisprian was, “This is for operations, Mr Bayu”, that was all,’ Budiman said. The prosecutor then asked when Budiman began receiving envelopes from PT Blueray Cargo delivered through Orlando. He admitted to receiving envelopes on four occasions. ‘Four times, as far as you remember?’ the prosecutor asked. ‘Four times, I recall, because the fifth time I refused it, in early February, on a Monday I think, I refused it,’ Budiman answered. The prosecutor questioned why he only refused on the fifth occasion and asked about the type, code, and size of the envelope. Budiman attempted to describe the envelope’s size with his hands, and the prosecutor noted it was thick. ‘How thick was this envelope?’ the prosecutor asked. ‘It was quite thick at the time,’ the witness said. ‘Quite thick? If we use a measurement, how thick was it? You experienced it,’ the prosecutor pressed. ‘About this thick,’ the witness said, indicating the size. ‘Wow, that is quite thick,’ the prosecutor remarked. The KPK prosecutor was also baffled by Budiman’s reasoning for feeling uncomfortable with the payments, given that he accepted them four times before refusing. ‘In my understanding, accepting four times and refusing once seems half-hearted. Why?’ the prosecutor asked. ‘From the beginning, I was already starting to feel uncomfortable,’ Budiman explained. ‘The context is comfort. This is money. If you were already uncomfortable, the first time you would have refused. Why say yes four times and no once? Even the public gallery would question the logic. Why?’ the prosecutor challenged. Budiman responded, ‘If I felt comfortable, I would have taken it myself, kept it myself, and used it myself.’ The prosecutor asked what he meant by ‘uncomfortable’, and Budiman claimed he did not want the money. ‘At the time, I just had a feeling. I felt it was time to stop receiving it. I wanted to change,’ he explained. Budiman Bayu is also a defendant in a bribery and gratuity case at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. He appeared as a witness for three colleagues being tried in a separate case file: Rizal, the Director of Enforcement and Investigation; Sisprian Subiaksono, the Sub-Directorate Head of Intelligence; and Orlando Hamonangan, the Head of Customs Intelligence Section I. Prosecutors have charged the three officials with accepting bribes and gratuities totalling Rp 78.8 billion from PT Blueray Cargo to facilitate imports. Three executives from Blueray have already been tried and convicted, with sentences ranging from 1.5 to 2 years in prison.