Rp366.7 Billion in Illegal Immigration Levies Funneled Through Accounts of Office Boys and Cleaning Staff

The closed investigation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) into the Directorate General of Immigration is becoming increasingly clear. The case involving alleged extortion regarding stay permits for foreign nationals, which has implicated the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Correctional Services, Silmi Karim, has now revealed a cunning tactic for disguising illicit funds.

According to the latest information, a staff member identified as GST utilised a network of collector accounts to collect fees from service agencies and sponsors of foreign nationals. To avoid legal detection, 96 accounts flagged by the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) were found not to be in the names of officials, but rather used the identities of office boys, cleaning service staff, and even family members.

The total amount of these ‘shadow funds’ has reached Rp366.7 billion, a staggering figure when compared to the recorded official salary of only Rp9.7 billion.