Eight Defendants in Kemenaker Foreign Worker Permit Extortion Case Face Verdict Today

Eight defendants in the alleged extortion case involving the processing of Foreign Worker Utilisation Plan (RPTKA) permits at the Ministry of Manpower (Kemenaker) are facing a verdict hearing before the Corruption Court panel at the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday (22/4). The verdict hearing will be chaired by Judge Lucy Ermawati and is scheduled to begin at 10:00 WIB. The eight defendants include the Director General of Workforce Placement Development and Employment Opportunities (Dirjen Binapenta and PKK) at Kemenaker for 2020-2023, Suhartono, along with three staff from the Directorate of Foreign Worker Utilisation Control (PPTKA) under Dirjen Binapenta and PKK at Kemenaker for 2019-2024, namely Putri Citra Wahyoe, Jamal Shodiqin, and Alfa Eshad. Further, they include the Coordinator for PPTKA Eligibility Testing for 2020-2024 and Director of PPTKA at Kemenaker for 2024-2025, Devi Angraeni, as well as the Head of the Subdirectorate for Maritime and Agriculture under Dirjen Binapenta and PKK for 2019-2021 and Coordinator for Foreign Worker Analysis and Control at the PPTKA Directorate under Dirjen Binapenta and PKK at Kemenaker for 2021-2025, Gatot Widiartono. Additionally, the Dirjen Binapenta and PKK at Kemenaker for 2024-2025 and Director of PPTKA at Kemenaker for 2019-2024, Haryanto, and the Director of PPTKA at Kemenaker for 2017-2019, Wisnu Pramono. Previously, the defendants were prosecuted with prison sentences ranging from four to nine and a half years. In detail, Suhartono was prosecuted for a four-year prison term; Putri, Jamal, and Alfa each for six years; Devi for six years and six months; Gatot for seven years; and Haryanto and Wisnu each for nine years and six months. In addition to prison terms, the eight civil servants (ASN) at Kemenaker were also prosecuted for fines, namely Suhartono for Rp150 million, with the provision that if not paid, it would be substituted (subsider) with 70 days in prison. Meanwhile, the fines prosecuted for Devi, Putri, Jamal, and Alfa are each Rp350 million subsider 110 days in prison. For Gatot, a fine of Rp500 million subsider 140 days in prison was prosecuted. For Haryanto and Wisnu, each Rp700 million subsider 160 days in prison. Besides Suhartono, the other seven defendants were also requested to be imposed with additional penalties in the form of restitution payments of varying amounts. In detail, Haryanto for Rp84.72 billion subsider six years in prison; Wisnu for Rp25.2 billion subsider four years in prison; Gatot for Rp9.48 billion subsider three years in prison; Devi for Rp3.25 billion subsider three years in prison; Putri for Rp6.39 billion subsider two years in prison; Jamal for Rp551.16 million subsider one year in prison; and Alfa for Rp5.24 billion subsider two years in prison. In the case that occurred within Kemenaker from 2017 to 2025, the eight ASN were charged with extorting RPTKA permit processing agents for Rp135.29 billion. The eight defendants also allegedly asked the agents to provide goods in the form of one Vespa Primavera 150 ABS A/T motorcycle and one Innova Reborn car. It was stated that the eight defendants forced employers and RPTKA processing agents submitting applications to provide a certain amount of money or goods, and if not fulfilled, the RPTKA applications would not be processed. The extortion was carried out to enrich the Kemenaker ASN, namely enriching Putri by Rp6.39 billion; Jamal by Rp551.16 million; Alfa by Rp5.24 billion; Suhartono by Rp460 million; Haryanto by Rp84.72 billion and one Innova Reborn car; Wisnu by Rp25.2 billion and one Vespa Primavera 150 ABS A/T motorcycle; Devi by Rp3.25 billion; and Gatot by Rp9.48 billion. For their actions, the defendants face penalties under Article 12e or Article 12B in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes as amended and supplemented by Law No. 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) first jo. Article 64 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.