JAKARTA - Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, said in a June 4 release that it had carried out a sting operation in a corruption case linked to foreign nationals’ stay permit applications at the Ministry of Immigration and Correction, known locally as Imipas. The agency said the alleged scheme covered applications handled from 2022 to 2026.
KPK named eight suspects: SK, a deputy minister for immigration and correction in 2025-2026 and former immigration director-general in 2023-2024; SMG, acting immigration director-general in 2024-2025; JS, director of stay permits; BGS and TBS, sub-directorate officials; RAA, a former Central Jakarta and West Jakarta immigration office head; JSP, head of the ITAS status-transfer team; and GST, a stay permit sub-directorate staff member.
The agency said the suspects were detained for the first 20 days from June 4 to June 23. JSP, GST and RAA were held at the KPK ACLC detention branch. SK, SMG, JS, TBS and BGS were held at the KPK Red and White Building detention branch.
KPK said the case grew from its 2025 investigation into foreign worker utilisation plans at the Ministry of Manpower and from Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center findings on mismatches in transaction reports involving 35 Imipas employees. The agency alleged that SK, through JS, demanded a share from foreign nationals’ stay permit applications.
“For every stay permit application document processed, there was a ‘price,’” KPK said in a translated statement. The agency said JS ordered BGS and TBS to collect extra fees from foreign nationals, and that money was distributed every Friday using special codes, including “malaikat” for senior officials and band-performance terms such as vocalist, guitarist, backing vocal and choreographer.
KPK said at least Rp145.5 billion had been collected through nominee accounts during 2022-2026. Investigators also seized evidence worth about Rp17.5 billion, including seven cars, 15 motorcycles, 11 bicycles, bank account balances, foreign currency and several crypto accounts.
KPK said the suspects were alleged to have violated Article 12 letter e and/or Article 12B of Indonesia’s anti-corruption law, along with Article 20 letter c of the 2023 Criminal Code. The agency said it would continue developing the investigation to examine possible money laundering offences and other alleged methods linked to the case.
