Accused use bribe money to fund customs podcast

Several Indonesian customs officials allegedly used money from bribery and gratification to fund a podcast service designed to combat negative public perception of their institution. The revelation emerged during a court hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on June 10, 2026.

Prosecutors presented Sisprian Subiaksono, former Head of the Customs and Excise Intelligence Sub-Directorate, as a witness against three defendants: John Field (owner of Blueray Cargo), Andri (import document team leader at Blueray Cargo), and Dedy Kurniawan (operations manager at Blueray Cargo). Subiaksono testified that operational funds, obtained unofficially, were used for various official needs, including the purchase of sound systems for 'Sinkos.'

When questioned by the prosecutor about Sinkos, identified as a media service providing podcast content on YouTube, Subiaksono stated the purchase was ordered by a director to "backup our cyber needs to fight negative news from outside." He mentioned the initial cost was around 100 million Rupiah, but the director advised seeking a cheaper option.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named seven suspects in the alleged import bribery case within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. The total alleged illicit funds amount to 61.3 billion Indonesian Rupiah, along with entertainment facilities worth 1.45 billion Rupiah, a Tag Heuer watch, and a Mazda CX-5 car. The KPK suspects the bribes were paid to facilitate imports and avoid stringent customs checks.