Haji Her Cigarette Entrepreneur Was Involved in the Directorate General of Customs and Excise Case, KPK Chairman: Called But Did Not Attend

Chairman of the KPK Setyo Budiyanto/DOK

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Setyo Budiyanto confirmed that his party was right to call H Khairul Umam or Haji Her, a tobacco entrepreneur from Madura, last week. The summons is related to allegations of bribes and gratification for the import of goods at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise.

This was conveyed by Setyo to clarify that Haji Her had never been summoned by his agency. He said that a summons letter had been sent but the tobacco entrepreneur did not attend at the scheduled time.

"Yes, it is true that there has been a call, but if the call does not come or the person concerned is not present," Setyo told reporters at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, quoted on Wednesday, April 8.

In the future, Setyo ensured that Haji Her had the opportunity to be called again. However, he has not confirmed further because the decision will be made according to the needs of the investigators.

"Of course there are considerations from investigators, whether then a re-call will be made, scheduled again. We just have to wait," said Setyo, who also served as the KPK's Director of Investigation.

Meanwhile, KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo has reminded cigarette entrepreneurs to cooperate in meeting the investigators' calls. The warning was delivered after a number of witnesses, including M. Suryo who is the boss of the HS homemade cigarette, did not meet the investigators' calls on Friday, April 3.

"We also appeal to MS or other witnesses to be cooperative in the future, to meet the summons of investigators and provide the necessary information," Budi told reporters quoted on Monday, April 6.

For every witness who is summoned, Budi emphasized, his testimony is needed. "To help uncover this case is a bright light," he said.

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 the Java Island region. The findings were revealed after Budiman Bayu Prasojo as Head of the P2 Tax Intelligence Section of the DJBC was named a suspect and detained on Friday, February 27.

This determination is an expansion of the hand-in-hand 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, 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.

"Currently, some of them are from Central Java and there are also East Java," said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo to reporters at the KPK Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Monday, March 2.

These 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 results of manual home industry products and using machines.