Silmy Karim Allegedly Received Bribe Money Since Serving as Director General

Wakil Menteri Imigrasi dan Permasyarakatan (Imipas) Silmy Karim is alleged to have received bribes since his tenure as Director General (Dirjen) of Immigration. Silmy is now officially a detainee of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in a corruption case concerning residence permits for foreign nationals (WNA). Silmy served as Director General of Immigration from January 2023 to October 2024. He was then appointed as deputy minister on 21 October 2024. “The receipt of money was carried out when the person concerned served as Director General,” revealed KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo at the KPK’s Merah Putih Building, Jakarta, on Thursday (4/6). Besides Silmy Karim, the KPK has named seven other suspects in the alleged extortion case within the Directorate General of Immigration. The money received is alleged to have reached tens of billions of rupiah. On 3 June 2026, the KPK conducted a sting operation (OTT) at the West Jakarta Special Class I Non-TPI Immigration Office. The OTT was carried out regarding the alleged processing of residence permits for foreign nationals, namely the Permanent Stay Permit Card (KITAP) and the Limited Stay Permit Card (KITAS). From the OTT, the KPK arrested 17 people consisting of eight state civil servants (ASN) and nine private individuals who acted as intermediaries in processing immigration documents. The 17 people arrested include the Head of the West Jakarta Special Class I Non-TPI Immigration Office Ronald Arman Abdullah, the Head of the West Java Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration Jaya Saputra who once served as Director of Residence Permits and Immigration Status for the period November 2024-October 2025, and the Acting Director General of Immigration for the period October 2024-April 2025 Saffar Muhammad Godam. Silmy Karim’s case is a development from this OTT. He turned himself in to the KPK in the early hours of 3 June 2026.