Ocoy's Testimony: SGD 75 Million Envelopes per Month for Customs Officials, One Rejected

Bribery practices within the Directorate General of Customs and Excise have once again come to light in the Central Jakarta Corruption Court. Orlando Hamonangan, who served as Head of Customs Intelligence Section I at the Customs Enforcement and Investigation Directorate, revealed the handover of envelopes containing foreign currency from cargo entrepreneur John Field to Budiman Bayu Prasojo, Head of the P2 Customs Intelligence Section at DJBC. Orlando gave the testimony when he was presented as a witness for defendant Budiman, Wednesday (16/9/2026).

According to Orlando, he acted as an intermediary. John Field, the owner of Blueray Cargo, entrusted envelopes marked with the code "BY"—Budiman's initials—six times throughout August, September, October, November 2025, and twice in January 2026. Of the six envelopes, one was rejected by Budiman in late January. The rejected envelope was then handed by Orlando to a staff member named Krismanto to be placed into the operational cash fund.

During the trial, prosecutors confirmed the agreed amount. Orlando admitted he did not know the exact figure, but he said John Field had once stated that Rp 75 million per month in Singapore dollars was prepared for Budiman. "From my conversation with John Field, I asked, 'Pak John, how much for Mas Bayu?' The answer was Rp 75 million but in SGD," Orlando said. He stressed that he did not physically count the money.

This testimony strengthens the prosecutors' indictment that Budiman received gratuities worth Rp 7.6 billion, both in rupiah and foreign currency. However, Budiman's legal team denied the construction. They argued that John Field's statement actually showed that the arrangement and giving of money were done at Orlando's request, not on Budiman's initiative. "The owner of Blueray Cargo explained that the arrangement and giving of money were carried out based on Orlando's request. The witness did not explain any giving of money to Budiman Bayu Prasojo," the defense team said in a written statement, Monday (7/9/2026).

The defense also highlighted the context of the meeting. They said the meeting with the Blueray Cargo side took place when Budiman was summoned by Sisprian Subiaksono, Deputy Director of Intelligence at the Directorate of Enforcement and Investigation of Customs at the Finance Ministry, who has also been named a defendant in this case. According to them, a structural relationship or being in the same directorate cannot replace proof of individual role. "What must be proven is Budiman's concrete actions. Who gave, who received, who controlled or enjoyed the money, for what purpose the giving was done, and what official action was the reward for," the lawyers' team asserted.

This case is a test of the government's commitment to cleaning up the customs institution that has long been the main gateway for imported goods. For businesses, especially importers and logistics companies, the development of this trial highlights the risk of unofficial costs that can disrupt the investment climate. Transparency in the legal process and consistency in fighting corruption at Customs will determine the business world's trust in Indonesia's trade governance.

Going forward, the public awaits whether prosecutors can present more detailed evidence of money flows, including transaction records and other witness statements, to test the parties' arguments. The question is, will this trial reveal a wider bribery network within Customs, or stop at the roles of individuals passing responsibility to one another?