Former Kemenaker official's plea in K3 corruption case: 'I regret not stopping bad practices'

JAKARTA - Former K3 Testing and Evaluation Coordinator and defendant Gerry Aditya Herwanto Putra expressed regret for being unable to halt longstanding bad practices in the K3 certification extortion case. He made the statement during his plea hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (26 May 2026). ‘I begin my plea by expressing regret for being unable to quickly change or stop the longstanding bad practices,’ Gerry said in court. ‘I understand that every action has legal consequences. I also understand that as a state official, I should have better maintained public trust,’ he explained. Gerry also urged the judges to consider his case holistically, including his life journey and service as a civil servant. During the hearing, Gerry mentioned his family’s situation since his detention. He said his heaviest burden was leaving his wife and twin daughters still in high school. ‘I realise this situation is a heavy burden for my family. It is a deep regret for me. As a husband, father, and son,’ he said. Furthermore, Gerry denied using his position to enrich himself during his tenure at the Ministry of Manpower. ‘Throughout my time as a civil servant, whether as staff, section head, sub-director, or coordinator, I have never asked anyone from companies, other institutions, or colleagues for money or goods related to office work,’ he stated. He also refuted claims that he lived luxuriously due to corruption. Gerry added that the car he owns is still on an installment plan.