JAKARTA - The Attorney General's Office is investigating a Ministry of Trade official in relation with alleged corruption in a textile smuggling case that involved officials from the Batam Customs Office.
The Ministry of Trade official in question is Sihar Dadjopan Pohan, who currently serves as Director of Trade Order at the Directorate-General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order.
"The investigation aims to find and collect evidence about data in the import process," Head of the AGO Legal Information Centre Hari Setiyono said on Thursday (16/7) as quoted from Antara.
In addition to Mr Pohan, the AGO is also investigating PT Insani Mandiri Lestari Director Tjing Ful, also known as Elna, and Pangeran Jayakarta Apartment building manager Andreas D. Meza.
In this case, PT Fleming Indo Batam and PT Peter Garmindo Prima allegedly altered invoices in the import of 566 containers of fabric to a smaller value to reduce import duty, and lowered the volume and type of goods to reduce the Temporary Custody Import Duty with an unauthorised Certificate of Origin.
So far AGO investigators have named five suspects; four of them are Batam Customs officials, namely Head of Customs and Excise Facility Mukhamad Muklas, Head of Customs and Excise Section I Hariyono Adi Wibowo, Head of Customs and Excise Section II Kamaruddin Siregar, and Head of Customs and Excise Section III Dedi Aldrian, while the other is PT Fleming Indo Batam and PT Peter Garmindo Prima owner Irianto. (MS)