Judge Says Noel Ebenezer's Achievements Deserve State Appreciation

The panel of judges believes that the achievements of defendant Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan during his tenure as Deputy Minister of Manpower for the 2024–2025 period deserve appreciation from the state, without negating his criminal responsibility for his actions in the occupational health and safety case within the Ministry of Manpower. Presiding Judge Nur Sari Baktiana revealed that this was considered by observing and studying the defence as well as Noel’s bureaucratic track record during his term. “The matters conveyed by the defendant are true and real, thus they deserve appreciation from the state without dismissing the criminal accountability for the defendant’s actions which have been proven, as per the legal considerations that have been demonstrated,” said the Presiding Judge during the verdict reading session at the Corruption Crime Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday. According to the panel of judges, state appreciation for Noel should be given on the grounds that his actions while serving as deputy minister personified the state’s presence in protecting citizens’ rights in the field of manpower. The Presiding Judge revealed that Noel had proven his capacity as a state representative through real policy breakthroughs in the form of issuing two important circulars within a short period, namely the prohibition on the practice of withholding educational diplomas and the elimination of discriminatory recruitment requirements. Juridically, the panel of judges assessed that Noel’s actions were not merely an administrative matter, but a manifestation of the state’s attitude to restore dignity and provide legal certainty for millions of Indonesian workers, who for decades had been held hostage by an unjust system or excluded simply because of age limits, physical appearance, or marital status, factors irrelevant to work ability. Therefore, although Noel has admitted his mistake and expressed deep remorse for his lack of thoroughness in safeguarding the mandate of his office, the panel of judges views that the series of real achievements and service rendered by Noel, which have touched the lives of millions of labourers, must not be ignored in the imposition of punishment. The Presiding Judge stated that true justice must be able to weigh clearly between the mistake committed and the magnitude of the positive contribution that Noel has made to the nation and state during his tenure. Consequently, the panel of judges assessed that Noel’s various services during his term as deputy minister, which represented the state’s tangible presence amidst the hardships of ordinary people, merit consideration as mitigating factors for imposing a proportional punishment, not as retribution.