Eight defendants sentenced to 4-7.5 years in prison in foreign worker permit extortion case

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Eight defendants have been sentenced to prison terms of four to seven years and six months after being found guilty of extortion in the processing of Foreign Worker Utilisation Plan (RPTKA) permits at the Ministry of Manpower (Kemenaker) from 2017 to 2025.

In delivering the verdict at the Corruption Court (Tipikor) of the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday, Presiding Judge Lucy Ermawati ruled that the defendants had extorted Rp130.51 billion from RPTKA permit processing agents.

“The defendants are hereby declared proven guilty in law and convincing evidence of committing corruption jointly and continuously as a continued act, as per the first alternative indictment,” stated the Presiding Judge.

The Presiding Judge explained that the eight civil servants (ASN) had coerced employers and RPTKA processing agents submitting applications to provide money or goods, threatening to halt processing if demands were unmet. The extortion aimed to enrich the Kemenaker ASN involved.

The eight defendants include the Director General of Workforce Placement Development and Employment Opportunities (Dirjen Binapenta and PKK) at Kemenaker from 2020-2023, Suhartono, sentenced to four years in prison.

Then, Coordinator for PPTKA Eligibility Assessment 2020-2024 and Director of PPTKA at Kemenaker 2024-2025, Devi Angraeni, received a five-year prison sentence.

Next, three staff members from the Directorate of Foreign Worker Utilisation Control (PPTKA) at Dirjen Binapenta and PKK, Kemenaker, from 2019-2024—Putri Citra Wahyoe, Jamal Shodiqin, and Alfa Eshad—were each sentenced to five years and six months in prison.

Additionally, Head of the Subdirectorate for Maritime and Agriculture at Dirjen Binapenta and PKK from 2019-2021, and Coordinator for Foreign Labour Analysis and Control at the PPTKA Directorate, Dirjen Binapenta and PKK, Kemenaker, from 2021-2025, Gatot Widiartono, was sentenced to six years in prison.

There is also the Director of PPTKA at Kemenaker from 2017-2019, Wisnu Pramono, sentenced to six years and six months in prison, along with Dirjen Binapenta and PKK at Kemenaker from 2024-2025 and Director of PPTKA at Kemenaker from 2019-2024, Haryanto, sentenced to seven years and six months in prison.

The panel of judges also imposed fines of Rp200 million on Suhartono and Devi each, with a subsidiary penalty of 80 days in prison if unpaid.

Meanwhile, Putri, Jamal, and Alfa each face fines of Rp300 million, subsidiary 100 days in prison, while Wisnu and Gatot each Rp350 million, subsidiary 110 days in prison. Haryanto faces a fine of Rp500 million, subsidiary 140 days in prison.

Apart from Suhartono, the other seven defendants were also ordered to pay restitution as compensation for their gains: Devi Rp3.25 billion, subsidiary one year in prison; Alfa Rp5.24 billion, subsidiary one year and six months in prison; and Putri Rp6.99 billion, subsidiary two years in prison.

Similarly, Gatot was ordered to pay Rp9.48 billion, subsidiary two years in prison; Jamal Rp23.52 billion, subsidiary two years and six months in prison; Wisnu Rp23.77 billion, subsidiary three years in prison; and Haryanto Rp40.72 billion, subsidiary four years in prison.

For their actions, the defendants were found guilty of violating Article 12e in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption, 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.

The verdict imposed by the panel of judges is lighter than the prosecutors’ demands. Previously, the defendants were sought to be sentenced to four to nine years and six months in prison.

In detail, Suhartono was demanded four years; Putri, Jamal, and Alfa each six years; Devi six years and six months; Gatot seven years; and Haryanto and Wisnu each nine years and six months.

In addition to prison terms, the eight Kemenaker ASN were also demanded fines: Suhartono Rp150 million, subsidiary 70 days in prison if unpaid.

Meanwhile, fines demanded for Devi, Putri, Jamal, and Alfa were each Rp350 million, subsidiary 110 days in prison.

For Gatot, a fine of Rp500 million, subsidiary 140 days in prison, while for Haryanto and Wisnu, each Rp700 million, subsidiary 160 days in prison.

Besides Suhartono, the other seven defendants were also demanded additional penalties in the form of restitution payments of varying amounts.

In detail, Haryanto Rp84.72 billion, subsidiary six years in prison; Wisnu Rp25.2 billion, subsidiary four years in prison; Gatot Rp9.48 billion, subsidiary three years in prison; Devi Rp3.25 billion, subsidiary three years in prison; Putri Rp6.39 billion, subsidiary two years in prison; Jamal Rp551.16 million, subsidiary one year in prison; and Alfa Rp5.24 billion, subsidiary two years in prison.