Noel Ebenezer and Associates to Face Prosecution in K3 Corruption Case on 18 May 2026
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Former Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer and other defendants in the extortion case regarding the processing of Occupational Safety and Health (K3) certifications will undergo a prosecution hearing on Monday (18/5/2026).
“The defendants are well and healthy in custody. We will reconvene the trial for you on Monday, 18 May 2026, with the agenda of the criminal prosecution from the Public Prosecutor,” said the chief judge of the Jakarta Corruption Court panel, Nur Sari Baktiana, on Thursday (7/5/2026).
In today’s hearing, the judge expressed regret over Noel’s involvement in this case, as his well-established track record was lost due to accepting Rp 3 billion and a Ducati motorcycle.
For example, regarding the return of workers’ diplomas held by companies.
“The panel has also just learned that many people are actually grateful to you because you appeared in the news. There are many public narratives and netizens commenting on this trial. Hopefully, that becomes a good deed for you,” said Nur.
She also suggested that Noel pour his achievements as deputy minister into his defence note or plea in the future.
“You, in your defence, should outline what your contributions were. Although you were given the position for less than a year, there must certainly be steps you took that left a positive impression on society,” she said.
Noel and several Manpower Ministry officials are accused of receiving Rp 6.5 billion by extorting applicants for K3 certificates and licences.
“That the defendant Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, together with Fahrurozi, Hery Sutanto, Subhan, Gerry Aditya Herwanto Putra, Irvian Bobby Mahendro, Sekarsari Kartika Putri, Anitasari Kusumawati, Supriadi, Miki Mahfud, and Temurila, have forced the K3 Certification and Licence Applicants to give money in a total amount of Rp 6,522,360,000 or at least around that amount,” stated the prosecutor when reading the indictment on 19 January 2026.
The prosecutor explained that this extortion had been ongoing since 2021 through the modus operandi of inflating the costs of issuing K3 certificates.
The prosecutor revealed that Hery Sutanto asked his subordinates to continue the ‘tradition’ of ‘appreciation or non-technical fees/undertable’ in the Directorate General of Occupational Safety and Health Supervision environment.
The tradition in question was collecting money related to the issuance and renewal of K3 certifications and licences at the Manpower Ministry from certification and licence applicants through K3 experts at Rp 300,000 to Rp 500,000 per certificate.
Furthermore, Noel never reported the receipts to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) within the 30-day period as stipulated in the Corruption Eradication Law.
“Thus, all the money receipts constitute gratuities deemed as bribes received by the defendant Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, for which there is no valid legal basis,” said the prosecutor.
For his actions, Noel is charged with violating Article 12 letter e in conjunction with Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law, in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of the Criminal Code, in conjunction with Article 127 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.