KPK is chasing a cigarette entrepreneur who made a deposit to the Directorate General of Customs through Salisa Asmoaji

The Jakarta Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building (ANTARA photo)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) continues to search for cigarette entrepreneurs who are suspected of giving money to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise through an employee named Salisa Asmoaji.

This was conveyed by KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo when asked about the material of Salisa's examination as a witness on Thursday, April 9. The Director General of Customs and Excise was asked about the case of bribery and gratification of foreign imports.

"Investigators have a witness SA related to companies or cigarette entrepreneurs who are suspected of giving money to individuals at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise," Budi told reporters at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, quoted on Friday, April 10.

Budi said that Salisa's examination also completed the information that had been provided some time ago. This figure has already been questioned on Wednesday, February 18.

Then, Salisa was also caught in the hands-on operation (OTT) some time ago but was sent home and only had the status of a witness.

"(Examination, ed) this is also to confirm the findings of the search that the investigators carried out, including in the safe house located in South Jakarta."

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.