Status of City Prisoner Julia Disoal in the Customs Case in Bogor

BOGOR - A number of students who are members of the Indonesian Student Forum have highlighted the handling of the case of alleged customs violations that ensnared the defendant Julia binti Djohar Tobing in Bogor Regency.

The spotlight was conveyed through a demonstration held at the Bogor Regency District Attorney's Office (Kejari) and the Bogor Regency District Court (PN), Wednesday, May 6. Students questioned a number of aspects in handling the case, including the status of the defendant's detention.

The Chairman of the Indonesian Student Forum, Pian Andreo, questioned the decision of law enforcement officials to designate Julia as a city detainee, even though the criminal threat imposed reached a maximum of 10 years in prison as stipulated in Article 102 letter f of the Customs Law.

According to Pian, the criminal threat of more than five years has legally fulfilled the objective conditions for detention in a state detention facility. Therefore, he asked for an explanation regarding the basis for considering the status of the city's detainees.

In addition, students also highlighted the contents of the indictment which stated that there was an alleged planning in the customs violation, including orders to other parties to ignore procedures and to use the company's facilities as a means of transporting imported goods.

Students also questioned the potential loss of the state, which in the indictment was said to be Rp. 21.8 million. They assessed that the figure was relatively small when compared to the operational capacity of the company which has a bonded area facility.

In its statement, the Indonesian Student Forum conveyed a number of demands, including encouraging the public prosecutor to trace the entire history of the company's spending, asking for accountability to be imposed not only on individuals but also on companies, and urging maximum criminal charges to provide a deterrent effect.

In addition, they also asked for internal supervision of the prosecutor's office regarding the decision not to detain in the detention center, encouraged an investigative audit related to potential state losses, and demanded transparency in the performance of law enforcement officials in handling the case.

In response to this, the Bogor Regency Public Prosecutor's Office, Afrhenzan Irvansyah, explained that the prosecution process is still ongoing and carried out in stages.

"The matter of Julia binti Djohar Tobing has entered the prosecution stage. We must report first to the high prosecutor's office because it is related to customs. The charges that will be read are the result of the approval of the high prosecutor's office," he said.

He also said that the trial had been delayed twice because his party was still waiting for a decision from the high prosecutor's office. According to him, the delay was not caused by the Bogor Regency District Court.

"We have submitted and are still waiting. We are also continuing to follow up, and information from the regency the decision has not been down. We will pick up the ball so that the decision can be accelerated. That is the reason why this case has been postponed twice, not because the Bogor Regency PN," he explained.

Regarding the status of the city's prisoners, the prosecutor's office explained that criminal cases are handled through three stages of detention, namely by investigators, public prosecutors, and judges. The status of the city's prisoners imposed on the defendant is the result of the consideration of the investigator based on a number of factors.

"The city's detention was decided based on observations by considering certain conditions and factors. However, the person concerned is still being monitored and has been equipped with a tracking device," he said.

The prosecutor's office emphasized that it would continue to follow up on the case in accordance with applicable legal procedures and ensure that the process was carried out professionally and transparently.