Six ad agencies under scrutiny in Indonesian Bank BJB’s $13.4 million corruption scandal

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is investigating a corruption case involving the Regional Development Bank of West Java and Banten (Bank BJB) and several advertising agencies. Public attention on the case heightened after the KPK searched the home of former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil on 10 March 2025.

According to a report by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the core issue lies in the inflation of Bank BJB’s advertising budget, valued at Rp801 billion ($48.84 million). The report highlights a significant discrepancy between the funds allocated by the bank and the actual amount received by media companies.

BPK initially identified a budget leak of approximately Rp28 billion ($1.71 million). However, a deeper investigation by the KPK revealed that state losses had escalated to Rp222 billion ($13.4 million).

Six advertising agencies at the centre of the case

The six advertising agencies implicated in the scandal acted as intermediaries between Bank BJB and media companies. They are alleged to have received payments far exceeding the fair value of their services. Each agency was directly appointed by Bank BJB, bypassing the open tender process required under Board of Directors Decree No. 0387 on Bank BJB’s Standard Operating Procedures for Procurement of Goods and Services, which mandates a tender for transactions exceeding Rp1 billion ($60,976).

The KPK has named five suspects in the case, including Bank BJB president director Yuddy Renaldi, Widi Hartoto, head of the bank’s corporate secretary division, and three advertising company executives. The two Bank BJB executives have since resigned.

The KPK’s investigation has highlighted six major advertising agencies, with the heads of each company already named as suspects:

• PT Cipta Karya Sukses Bersama and PT Cipta Karya Mandiri Bersama, controlled by Raden Sophan Jaya Kusuma, were responsible for Bank BJB’s television and online media advertisements from 2021 to 2023.
• PT Antedja Muliatama handled Bank BJB’s print media advertising, while PT Cakrawala Kreasi Mandiri, both led by Kin Asikin Dulmanan, oversaw online and digital advertising.
• PT BSC Advertising and PT Wahana Semesta Bandung Ekspres, controlled by Suhendrik, managed online media advertising and were also implicated in the case.

The KPK’s findings indicate that the agencies operated by placing advertisements in accordance with pre-approved plans with Bank BJB, taking commissions based on a percentage of the ads placed. This led to a substantial gap between the funds disbursed by Bank BJB and the actual amounts received by media companies. KPK acting director of Investigation Budi Sokmo stated that the discrepancy in funds reached Rp222 billion ($13.4 million) and had been approved by Yuddy Renaldi and Widi Hartoto.

The KPK also uncovered multiple violations of procurement procedures, including the manipulation of self-estimated price (HPS) documents and directives to bypass verification of supplier documentation in contravention of standard operating procedures.

Ridwan Kamil’s possible involvement

The search of former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil’s residence has fuelled speculation regarding his possible involvement in the case. The KPK has confirmed that he will be summoned for questioning regarding the evidence seized from his home.

Budi stated, “When will he be summoned? He will definitely be summoned, as we conducted a search at his residence and confiscated certain evidence. Naturally, we must clarify this with the individual concerned.”

Bank BJB’s response

Amid the ongoing scandal, Bank BJB’s new corporate secretary, Ayi Subarna, has assured that business operations remain unaffected. The bank has pledged to uphold professionalism and transparency to maintain the confidence of its customers, business partners, and shareholders.

The investigation into the Bank BJB advertising procurement corruption case remains ongoing, with the possibility of additional witnesses being summoned and further scrutiny of the suspects’ roles in the scheme.

Campaign Indonesia reached out to several of the mentioned advertising agencies for comment but received no response.