Immigration Directorate confirms internal evaluation completed following corruption case

Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko has confirmed that the Directorate General of Immigration has conducted an internal evaluation following a sting operation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) targeting several immigration officials over alleged corruption. “An internal evaluation has certainly been carried out. We have implemented an action plan, and the quick wins have definitely been done,” Hendarsam said at the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections building in Jakarta on Monday. He stated that based on the evaluation, the directorate has closed loopholes that could potentially be exploited by field officers to abuse their authority. “We evaluated whether there were any gaps or loopholes that could be exploited by officers in the field, so that we can close them and minimise such matters. At this time, we have also carried out quick wins and created an action plan for future steps,” he said. Actions taken include dismissing all parties named as suspects, replacing them with new officials who have been strictly vetted, and ensuring public services continue to run optimally. On Monday, the Directorate General of Immigration inaugurated 13 key immigration officials across several work areas, including the Head of the Regional Office for West Java and the Head of the Class I Special Immigration Office for West Jakarta. Both positions were vacant because the previous officials had been named suspects and detained by the KPK. In addition, Hendarsam said the directorate will establish communication with the KPK to address the issues that have arisen. During the investigation process, he has instructed all staff to cooperate fully with the KPK by providing the widest possible data and access to clarify the case. “We have urged all staff to be cooperative with the KPK, to open the case as widely as possible and provide the broadest access to the KPK to work, so that all these problems can be resolved,” he said. Regarding reports that the immigration case suspects allegedly panicked when the KPK investigated the processing of foreign worker utilisation plans at the Ministry of Manpower and quickly withdrew some money, Hendarsam noted that this was an old incident which the directorate learned about from the KPK and the media. He said the KPK is welcome to process other parties in accordance with applicable regulations if they are linked to the case. “That withdrawal was an incident from some time ago. We ourselves learned about it from our KPK colleagues and from media colleagues. So if that matter exists, it will just be processed legally. At this point, the investigation report has been completed and we will see whether the charges are indeed present,” Hendarsam said. It was previously reported that the KPK suspects the individuals involved in the alleged extortion case within the Directorate General of Immigration panicked when the anti-corruption body investigated alleged extortion in the processing of foreign worker utilisation plans at the Ministry of Manpower. KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto stated that the immigration case suspects then withdrew money from several accounts held under other people’s names. The KPK also suspects the withdrawn money was used to purchase gold, which was then used to acquire immovable assets. The immigration case has implicated several officials, including former Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections Silmy Karim, former Head of the Class I Special Office for West Jakarta Ronald Arman Abdullah, and former Head of the Directorate General of Immigration’s West Java Office Jaya Saputra.