Immigration graft suspects allegedly panicked, bought gold as KPK probed foreign worker case

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) suspects that individuals involved in an alleged extortion case within the Directorate General of Immigration panicked when the anti-graft body began probing a separate bribery case related to the foreign manpower utilisation plan (RPTKA) at the Ministry of Manpower. “When the RPTKA case at the Manpower Ministry was handled by the KPK in 2025 and came to light, these parties allegedly panicked and immediately withdrew some money,” KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto told reporters at the KPK’s Merah Putih building in Jakarta on Thursday. Setyo said the immigration case suspects then withdrew money from several accounts held under other people’s names. “The withdrawal process was likely gradual because they used nominee names, other people’s identities, and so on,” he said. Afterwards, the KPK suspects the immigration case suspects used the withdrawn cash to purchase gold bullion. According to Setyo, the gold was even used to acquire immovable assets. “Typically, transactions for purchasing immovable property use rupiah, via bank transfers, and such. However, in this case, gold bars were used,” he stated. The KPK previously conducted a sting operation on 2-3 June 2026 related to alleged corruption in processing stay permits for foreign nationals, such as permanent stay permits (KITAP) or temporary stay permits (KITAS). It was the KPK’s eleventh sting operation of 2026. During the operation, the KPK apprehended 17 individuals, comprising eight state officials or civil servants and nine private sector intermediaries involved in processing immigration documents. Among those arrested were West Jakarta Special Class I Non-TPI Immigration Office head Ronald Arman Abdullah; West Java Regional Office head Jaya Saputra, who previously served as Director of Stay Permits and Immigration Status from November 2024 to October 2025; and acting Director General of Immigration for the October 2024-April 2025 period, Saffar Muhammad Godam. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Immigration and Corrections Silmy Karim surrendered himself to the KPK on 3 June 2026. On 4 June 2026, Silmy Karim, Saffar Muhammad Godam, Jaya Saputra, Ronald Arman Abdullah, and four others were formally named suspects and detained after appearing in the KPK’s orange vests. The other four are Tessar Bayu Setyaji and Bagus Bramantyo, both sub-directorate heads at the Directorate of Stay Permits and Immigration Status; ITAS Status Transfer Team Head Juniadi Sri Priambudi; and Stay Permit Sub-directorate staff member Gusti Benardiansyah. They were named suspects for alleged extortion in processing foreign nationals’ stay permits between 2022 and 2026, which occurred within the Ministry of Law and Human Rights and subsequently under the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. The suspects are alleged to have illicitly collected Rp145.5 billion during that period.