Judge Ridicules Labour Ministry Officials for Extorting Private Sector to Buy Ink and Forms

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Judge Alfis Setyawan ridiculed an institution at the level of the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker) for going to such lengths to extort the private sector to purchase office stationery (ATK), such as forms and printer ink.

“Is it really that troublesome for a ministry to buy ink?” said Judge Alfis during the trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Thursday (23/4/2026).

Judge Alfis then compared the process of purchasing ATK between the Central Jakarta District Court (PN) and Kemnaker.

According to him, an institution at the level of the PN has a budget to buy ATK without needing to ask for form money or ink money from the private sector.

Alfis assessed that the actions of the defendants and several other Kemnaker officials who collected non-technical fees under the pretext of form money constituted a strange phenomenon.

He suspected that the budget shortage might be deliberate to provide a reason for collection or extortion.

“Well, it could be intentional, right? Let the situation stay like this, so the receipts keep flowing. Then the argument is, we’re short on money to print forms and all sorts of things, operations are lacking, buying ink and so on,” the judge said again.

For example, by the Coordinator of Planning Systems and Procedures for Labour Supervision at Kemnaker, Ida Rochmawati, who was examined during the trial on Monday (26/1/2026).

This term emerged when the public prosecutor (JPU) read out the examination record (BAP) of Ida regarding the certificate of the appointment decision letter (SKP) for K3 Licences from Kemnaker.

“I can state that for the issuance of SKP Licences certificates before October 2023, no official payments were imposed on users,” said the prosecutor reading the BAP during the trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Monday (26/1/2026).

However, Occupational Safety and Health Service Companies (PJK3) were charged form fees by officials in Kemnaker, particularly in the Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety Institution Building.

“Nevertheless, PJK3 were charged by officials in the PNK3 environment or to pay form fees for each sheet issued by Kemnaker,” the prosecutor continued.