February 6, 2026 | 05:37 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa commented on the recent designation of officials from the Directorate General of Tax and the Directorate General of Customs as suspects by Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Purbaya described the arrests as a form of “therapy” to encourage officials to focus more on their duties.
Two customs officials and one tax official were formally named suspects and seen wearing the standard orange vests used by the KPK.
“It is a therapy for tax and customs to be more focused in carrying out their duties in the future. I don’t think it’s a problem,” Purbaya said at the Ministry of Finance office on Friday, February 6, 2026.
The minister also highlighted ongoing internal reforms at the ministry, including the rotation and reassignment of employees to improve performance.
Around 50 tax employees are scheduled to be rotated on the evening of February 6, as part of broader efforts to reorganize and consolidate both tax and customs units.
Purbaya assured that he would provide legal support to the detained officials but emphasized that he would not interfere with the investigation.
“I will accompany them legally to ensure fair treatment during the legal process. But I will not intervene, in the sense that I will come and ask to stop the process,” he said.
On February 4, 2026, the KPK named Mulyono, Head of the Tax Service Office (KPP) Madya Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, as a suspect following an anti-corruption operation earlier this month.
He and two others are accused of corruption involving value-added tax (VAT) restitution, allegedly conditioning a tax refund request from PT Buana Karya Bhakti (PT BKB).
The KPK also named two customs officials as suspects. Rizal (RZL), Head of the Intelligence Enforcement and Investigation Subdirectorate, and Sisprian Subiaksono (SIS), Head of the Intelligence Section of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, are suspected of corruption related to imported goods.
M Raihan Muzzaki contributed to the writing of this article.
Read: Purbaya Plays Down Moody's Downgrade of Indonesia's Debt Outlook
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