T

he National Police are expanding their investigation into a bribery and money laundering case that implicates Heru Sulastyono, a high ranking official in the Finance Ministry'€™s customs and excise directorate general.

The move could drag the office'€™s top brass into the scandal.

National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar confirmed on Tuesday that police investigators had confiscated documents from the administration office at customs headquarters in East Jakarta on Monday in connection with the case.

'€œFrom Monday'€™s raid, we obtained some important documents, including data stored on the office'€™s computers. This evidence, including suspect testimonies, will help us plan new raids or lines of enquiry,'€ Boy said at National Police headquarters in South Jakarta.

It is alleged that Heru, export subdivision head, accepted 11 insurance policies totaling Rp 11 billion (US$913,000) from a businessman identified as Yusran Arif in 2007.

Heru, who during that period was enforcement and supervision division head at Tanjung Priok customs and excise office, allegedly assisted Yusran'€™s companies to avoid paying tax.

Heru and Yusran, the main suspects in the case, have been in police custody since late October. The two face multiple charges under money laundering and corruption laws.

National Police special economic crime director Brig. Gen. Arief Sulistyono, who led the investigation, believed Heru had not worked alone in his illicit practices.

'€œHeru accepted the bribes and abused his authority to benefit [Yusran'€™s] companies. Heru is part of a system, he could not do that [manipulating tax obligations] alone,'€ he said on Thursday.

When Heru allegedly conducted malpractices in 2007, the Tanjung Priok office was then led by Agung Kuswandono, the current customs and excise director general.

When asked about the possibility Agung could have played a role in the scandal, Arief responded: '€œWe will prosecute anyone who is indicated to have involvement in the case. We work based on fact, not assumption.'€

The police launched investigations following a Financial Transaction and Report Analysis Center (PPATK) report that stipulated Heru had accumulative financial transactions totaling more than Rp 60 billion between 2009 and 2012.

The police later found that Heru, who was entitled to a monthly salary of Rp 25 million prior to his arrest, is the owner of eight houses in Serpong, Banten. Some of his assets are registered under the name of his mistress, Widyawati.

Heru is not the sole customs official whose wealth can be questioned.

PPATK head Muhammad Yusuf previously said the center had reported the names of 16 officials '€” Heru among them '€” who had suspiciously large bank accounts to the National Police in 2011.

Arief declined to confirm whether the police had launched investigations into the remaining 15 officials.