JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) suspects that the extortion of the management of residence permits for foreign nationals (WNA) is not only enjoyed by perpetrators for personal interests. There is an effort to disguise the money by buying assets to establish a business, one of which is a towing or car towing company.
This was conveyed by KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto in a press conference after the hand-in-hand operation (OTT) which also ensnared the inactive Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections (Imipas) Silmy Karim.
"The money (alleged extortion of the management of the residence permit for foreigners, ed) was used by the parties for personal interests, asset purchases, and business activities such as establishing a towing company to disguise the receipt of the money," said Setyo, quoted on Friday, June 5.
This finding, continued Setyo, was obtained from a series of seizures of assets belonging to Gusti Benardiansyah as the Staff of the Directorate of Residence Permits of the Ministry of Imipas who was a suspect in the form of a towing truck.
"The assets were seized from GST," he said.
Then, investigators also seized four crypto asset accounts worth Rp. 1.2 billion, four cars, seven motorcycles, one bundle of two-wheeled vehicle BPKB, eight bicycles, and 500 grams of precious metals.
On that occasion, Setyo revealed that Gusti was suspected of playing a role as a collector of funds from extortion from service bureaus and foreign citizens who handle residence permits. "GST is suspected of using several nominee accounts as 'collector accounts' to accommodate fees from each residence permit management sourced from service bureaus or foreign nationals," he explained.
The anti-corruption commission said the extortion practice took place systematically in the Immigration Directorate General environment from 2022 to 2026. The total money allegedly collected from the practice amounted to around IDR 145.5 billion.
The funds were then distributed regularly every week to a number of parties in the Immigration Directorate General and the Ministry of Immigration and Correction.
"To disguise the distribution of money, the parties use special distribution codes, such as the use of the term 'angel' which is intended for the distribution of money for high officials in the environment of the Director General of Imipas or the Ministry of Imipas. Another code using the term payment for group band concerts, such as vocalists, guitarists, backing vocals, and choreographers which represent the flow of money for certain parties," he said.
Furthermore, extortion is carried out by making it difficult for the process of applying for a residence permit to be submitted through a service bureau. The applicant is said to have been asked to pay an additional amount of money so that his application can be processed and approved.
"This illustrates that the illegal acts in this alleged corruption and extortion case were carried out systematically by the parties, starting from the command flow (top-down) and the flow of money (bottom-up deposit)," said the former KPK Investigation Director.
The KPK previously named eight suspects from a hand-in-hand operation (OTT) related to the residence permits of foreign nationals (WNA) in the environment of the Ministry of Immigration and Correction on Wednesday, June 3. The details are as follows:
1. Wamen Imipas 2025-2026 who is also Director General (Dirjen) Imipas 2023-2024 Silmy Karim; 2. Acting Director General of Immigration 2024-2025 Saffar Muhammad Godam; 3. Head of the Regional Office (Kakanwil) of the Directorate General of Immigration West Java who previously served as Director of Residence Permits and Immigration Status of the Immigration Directorate Jaya Saputra; 4. Sub-Directorate of Residence Permit Status in the Directorate of Residence Permits and Immigration Status of the Immigration Directorate Tessar Bayu Setyaji; 5. Sub-Directorate in the Directorate of Residence Permits Bagus Bramantyo; 6. Head of the Central Jakarta Immigration Office 2024-2025 and Head of the Class I Immigration Office for Non-TPI West Jakarta 2025-2026 Ronald Arman Abdullah; 7. Chairman of the ITAS Status Transfer Team Juniadi Sri Priambudi; and 8. Staff of the Residence Permit Sub-Directorate Gusti Benardiansyah.
Silmy is said to have received money from the extortion of the management of residence permits for foreign nationals (WNA) since the Director General of Immigration for the period 2023-2024. He even continued to receive it even though he had been sworn in as Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections (Imipas).
The proceeds made by Silmy are said to reach Rp. 100 million per week. As a result of his actions, he and seven other suspects are suspected of violating Article 12 letter e and/or Article 12B of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Jo. Article 20 letter c of Law No. 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code.
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