The Case of the Imported Goods Investigated by the KPK Is Said to Be Proof of the System Can Be Conditioned

JAKARTA - The alleged bribery of the import of goods in the Customs and Excise Directorate General, which was handled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), is proof that the system created is not completely sterile from human intervention. Because, the customs parameters can be manipulated.

This was conveyed by Iskandar Sitorus as the Founding Secretary of Indonesian Audit Watch (IAW) who highlighted the regulation of risk parameters that determine the inspection path of imported goods.

"The problem is, the digital system still has one of the most human points: who regulates the parameters," Iskandar told reporters quoted on Tuesday, May 5.

He explained, based on the INS-1/BC/2025 regulation, the authority to prepare and update parameters is in the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation of DJBC and related units at the central and regional levels. This means that control over the system remains in the hands of human decisions at the strategic level.

In the case of the import of goods involving the Bluray Cargo forwarder, Iskandar said, there was conditioning of the import route through adjusting the rule set targeting parameters to a certain number. So, the goods that should have entered the red lane and must be inspected are suspected of being able to pass without supervision.

This condition, he continued, has the potential to open a gap for illegal goods, imitations, or non-compliant goods to enter without state control.

"If it is true that parameters can be adjusted so that goods that should be inspected are not inspected, then the rule set targeting is no longer a risk selection tool. It can turn into a risk negotiation tool," he said.

Not only that, the alleged flow of money up to tens of billions of rupiah in the case is considered to strengthen the indication of serious problems in the internal control system.

"This is not just a bribe. The disease is the possibility of the fragility of the internal control system behind the change in risk parameters," he explained.

IAW also reminded that if it is not immediately corrected, the digital system which should be a tool for modernization has the potential to be misused.

"What happened was not customs modernization, but the digitization of irregularities," said Iskandar.

The KPK previously announced six suspects related to alleged bribes and gratuities related to the import of goods at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise after conducting a hand-in-hand operation (OTT) on February 4. One of them is the Director of Enforcement and Investigation of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (P2 DJBC) for the period 2024-2026, Rizal.

In addition to Rizal, the KPK also named five other suspects. They are Sisprian Subiaksono (SIS) as Head of the Subdirectorate of Intelligence, 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 KPK suspects that this case began in October 2025 when Orlando Hamonangan and Sisprian Subiaksono together with John Field, Andri, and Dedy Kurniawan committed a conspiracy. They arranged the planning of the import route of goods that would enter Indonesia.

Furthermore, the KPK announced the Head of the Tax Intelligence Section for Enforcement and Investigation (P2) of the Directorate General of Customs (DJBC) Budiman Bayu Prasojo (BBP) as a new suspect in the case of alleged gratification related to the import of goods.

The announcement was made after the arrest was made at the DJBC headquarters in East Jakarta on Thursday, February 26.

Budiman was arrested for allegedly receiving and managing money from entrepreneurs whose products were subject to taxes and importers since November 2024.

As a result of his actions, Budiman Bayu was then suspected of violating Article 12 B of Law No. 31 of 1999 jo. UU No. 20 of 2001 jo. Article 20 letter c of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code (KUHP).