Former Deputy Manpower Minister Noel Ebenezer Sentenced to 4.5 Years in Prison, Apologises to Prabowo

Former Deputy Minister of Manpower for the 2024–2025 period, Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, also known as Noel Ebenezer, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison by the panel of judges at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday (4/6/2026). Following the trial, Noel openly apologised to President Prabowo Subianto and the wider public. Noel was found guilty in a case of alleged extortion related to the processing of Occupational Health and Safety (K3) certificates within the Ministry of Manpower, as well as receiving gratuities during his tenure. In his statement to the media, Noel expressed deep regret for betraying the trust placed in him by the Head of State. He also conveyed his guilt to the workers who had been the focus of his advocacy. ‘I sincerely apologise for disappointing them (the President and the people), and especially to my family, my wife, and my child,’ Noel stated with remorse. He described the verdict as a severe blow in his life, acknowledging the case stemmed from his carelessness and negligence as a public official. ‘Yes, this is the consequence of being an official who was negligent, an official who disappointed many members of the public,’ he added. Based on facts presented during the trial, Noel was proven to have received gratuities totalling Rp3.43 billion. These funds were described as ‘non-technical’ payments to facilitate the processing of K3 certificates. Besides cash, Noel was also found to have received a luxury motorcycle, a Ducati Scrambler. The panel of judges declared that Noel violated Article 12 letter b and Article 12 B in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption, as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001. The case did not only implicate the former deputy minister. Noel was found to have committed the extortion along with 10 other defendants, whose charges were read out separately. These defendants included Temurila, Miki Mahfud, Fahrurozi, Subhan, Gerry Aditya Herwanto Putra, Sekarsari Kartika Putri, Anitasari Kusumawati, Supriadi, Irvian Bobby Mahendro Putro, and Hery Sutanto. Despite accepting the verdict, Noel stated he would take responsibility for his actions as a legal consequence of the position he once held.