Eight Ministry of Manpower Officials Sentenced to 4-7.5 Years in Prison for Foreign Worker Permit Extortion Case
Eight defendants in the extortion case related to the Plan for the Use of Foreign Workers (RPTKA) at the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker) have been found guilty and sentenced to between four and seven and a half years in prison.
The verdict was read out by the panel of judges at the Corruption Court (Tipikor) of the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday (22/4).
“The defendants have been proven legally and convincingly guilty of committing corruption jointly and continuously as a continued act in accordance with the first alternative indictment,” stated the chief judge Lucy Ermawati while reading the decision, quoted from detikcom.
The judges stated that the defendants carried out extortion from agents of companies handling RPTKA permits within Kemnaker from 2017 to 2025. The total value amounted to Rp 130 billion.
“It is ordered that the defendants remain in custody,” said the judge in the ruling.
In delivering the verdict, the judges outlined several aggravating and mitigating circumstances.
The aggravating factors include the defendants not supporting the government’s programme to eradicate corruption, as well as enjoying the proceeds of the corrupt act.
Meanwhile, the mitigating factors are that the defendants behaved politely in court, were frank in this case, have family dependents, and have returned all the money received.
For their actions, the defendants were deemed guilty by the judges of violating Article 12e in conjunction with Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law (UU Tipikor) in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph 1 (1) in conjunction with Article 64 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.
Here are the sentences for the eight defendants:
Putri Citra Wahyoe, RPTKA Hotline Officer for the period 2019-2024 and Verifier of RPTKA Approval at the Directorate of Control of Foreign Worker Use (PPTKA) in 2024-2025. Citra was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison, a fine of Rp 300 million subsidiary 100 days’ imprisonment, and restitution of Rp 6,996,833,436 subsidiary 2 years’ imprisonment.
Jamal Shodiqin, TU Analyst at the Directorate of PPTKA for 2019-2024 who was also the First Expert Staff at the Directorate of PPTKA for 2024-2025. Jamal was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison, a fine of Rp 300 million subsidiary 100 days’ imprisonment, and restitution of Rp 23,523,160,000 subsidiary 2.5 years’ imprisonment.
Alfa Eshad, Junior Expert Staff at Kemnaker for 2018-2025. Alfa was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison, a fine of Rp 300 million subsidiary 100 days’ imprisonment, and restitution of Rp 5,239,438,471 subsidiary 1.5 years’ imprisonment.
Suhartono, Director General of the Placement of Workers Training and Expansion of Employment Opportunities (Binapenta and PKK) at Kemnaker for 2020-2023. Suhartono was sentenced to 4 years in prison and a fine of Rp 200 million subsidiary 80 days’ imprisonment.
Haryanto, Director of PPTKA for 2019-2024 who was also Director General of Binapenta and PKK for 2024-2025 and currently serves as Ministerial Advisor on International Relations. Haryanto was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, a fine of Rp 500 million subsidiary 140 days’ imprisonment, and restitution of Rp 40,722,027,432 subsidiary 4 years’ imprisonment.
Wisnu Pramono, Director of PPTKA for 2017-2019. Wisnu was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, a fine of Rp 350 million subsidiary 110 days’ imprisonment, and restitution of Rp 23,777,490,000 subsidiary 3 years’ imprisonment.
Devi Angraeni, Director of PPTKA for 2024-2025. Devi was sentenced to 5 years in prison, a fine of Rp 200 million subsidiary 80 days’ imprisonment, and restitution of Rp 3,255,392,000 subsidiary 1 year’ imprisonment.
Gatot Widiartono, Coordinator of Analysis and Control of Foreign Worker Use (PPTKA) for 2021-2025. Gatot was sentenced to 6 years in prison, a fine of Rp 350 million subsidiary 110 days’ imprisonment, and restitution of Rp 9,479,318,293 subsidiary 2 years’ imprisonment.