KPK Investigates Flow of Bribes Deposited by Cigarette Entrepreneurs to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) continues to investigate alleged corruption related to cigarette taxes that were found during the investigation of the case of bribery and gratification of the import of goods at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise.

This was conveyed by KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo when asked about the examination of a number of cigarette entrepreneurs in the case of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. Investigators are said to continue to seek money received.

"We are still investigating this (the exact amount of revenue collected by the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, ed)," Budi told reporters at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Wednesday, April 29.

Budi said that the deepening was carried out because many Central Java and East Java cigarette entrepreneurs were suspected of depositing for tax management. This information has been held by investigators.

"But from the data we received, whether all of this is suspected of bribery or giving money to individuals at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise in the context of managing the tax tape or what, this is what we will continue to investigate. So we also need information from each of the cigarette entrepreneurs," he explained.

Furthermore, Budi also explained that the case at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise was not only focused on the importation of goods involving forwarders. "There are two lanes, yes (which are being investigated, ed)," he said.

"The import column of goods or customs duties and the customs column, yes. Tax management is carried out by entrepreneurs whose products are subject to a tax tape because their existence is limited for certain reasons."

The KPK previously suspected that there were cigarette manufacturers who gave bribes to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) to circumvent taxes from Central Java and East Java. The findings were obtained after Budiman Bayu Prasojo as Head of the Tax Intelligence Section P2 DJBC was named a suspect and detained on Friday, February 27.

This determination is an expansion of the hand-catching operation (OTT) on February 4. At that time, six suspects were announced, one of which was the Director of Enforcement and Investigation of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (P2 DJBC) for the period 2024-2026, Rizal.

Then, it was also determined as a suspect, namely Sisprian Subiaksono (SIS) as Head of the Sub Directorate of Intelligence for Enforcement and Investigation of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Kasubdit Intel P2 DJBC); Orlando Hamonangan (ORL) as Head of the Intelligence Section of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Kasi Intel DJBC); John Field (JF) as owner of PT Blueray (BR); Andri as Head of the Import Documents Team of PT BR; and Dedy Kurniawan as Operational Manager of PT BR.

The cigarette entrepreneurs are suspected of buying tax tape at a lower rate in large quantities. In fact, there is a difference in tariffs for the products of manual home industry and using machines.