'Angel' Code in Silmy Karim Case: Money Flows to High-Ranking Officials
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has exposed the roles of Deputy Minister of Immigration and National Identity Silmy Karim and several employees of the Ministry of Immigration in an alleged extortion case involving the processing of temporary stay permits for foreign nationals. It was revealed that specific codes, ranging from ‘angel’ to ‘vocalist’, were used to distribute the proceeds from the extortion of foreign national stay permit applications.
This was disclosed by KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto during a press conference at the KPK Merah Putih building in South Jakarta on Thursday (4/6/2026). A total of eight suspects have been identified by the KPK, including Silmy Karim (SK), former Director General of Immigration Saffar Muhammad Godam (SMG), and several directors and sub-directors within the Directorate of Immigration.
According to Setyo, officials ordered subordinates to collect ‘extra fees’ or illegal levies from sponsors and guarantors for various services, including permit extensions, status changes, and domicile updates. To facilitate this, certain staff members provided access to processing systems, while others allegedly used nominee accounts as ‘collection accounts’ to gather fees from travel agencies and sponsors.
Between 2022 and 2026, the parties involved in the Directorate of Immigration received funds through direct payments or layering, totalling at least Rp 145.5 billion. These funds were distributed weekly, with Silmy Karim reportedly receiving a regular share of Rp 100 million per week. To disguise these distributions, the group used specific codes; for instance, ‘angel’ referred to money intended for high-ranking officials, while terms like ‘vocalist’, ‘guitarist’, and ‘choreographer’ were used to differentiate the amounts allocated to various participants.
The illicit funds were used for personal interests, asset purchases, and business ventures, including the establishment of a towing company used to launder the money. The investigation also found that when a separate labour issue surfaced in 2025, the suspects panicked and withdrew funds from nominee accounts to purchase gold. Furthermore, the KPK seized evidence of property purchases made using gold bullion instead of standard bank transfers.
Silmy Karim and his accomplices are facing charges of extortion and gratification and are currently detained by the KPK. Investigators have also seized various pieces of evidence, including foreign currency (US Dollars and Singapore Dollars), precious metals, and several vehicles.