Silmy Karim Named KPK Suspect; Yusril Asserts President's Directive is Impartial
The Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correctional Affairs, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has spoken out regarding the alleged corruption case involving Deputy Minister of Immigration and Correctional Affairs, Silmy Karim. Yusril stated that this case serves as both a reprimand and a significant challenge for the government, which must be addressed with transparency.
“The government is deeply concerned by this incident. At a time when we are actively promoting a clean administration, corruption practices are still being found within the immigration sector. This presents a heavy challenge for us to tighten supervision and enforce the law without bias, in accordance with the President’s directives,” Yusril said in a statement received on Thursday (4/6/2026).
Yusril revealed that the alleged case involving Silmy Karim occurred between 2023 and 2024. During that period, Silmy was serving as the Director General of Immigration, meaning the matter does not pertain to his current capacity as Deputy Minister.
Yusril also instructed Silmy and the entire immigration hierarchy to remain cooperative, noting that the government is leaving the case entirely to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). “We ensure that the government will not obstruct the legal process. We are opening the doors to coordination as wide as possible and are ready to assist KPK investigators if additional data or information is required. We shall await the progress of this process until the case file is deemed sufficient for trial,” Yusril asserted.
The case involving Silmy is allegedly linked to bureaucratic manipulation within the Directorate General of Immigration regarding the expedited issuance of Limited Stay Permits (ITAS) and Permanent Stay Permits (ITAP), particularly for foreign workers. Several officials are suspected of collecting unofficial fees outside of official regulations to accelerate document processing.
Under the Law on Corruption Crimes (UU Tipikor), the act of collecting unilateral fees that are not deposited into the state treasury falls under the category of extortion.
It has been confirmed that Silmy Karim has been officially detained by the KPK. In addition to Silmy, seven other individuals have been named suspects. Silmy and his associates are facing charges of extortion and gratification. Investigators have also seized several pieces of evidence, including foreign currency in US Dollars and Singapore Dollars, as well as precious metals and several vehicles.
A total of eight individuals have been detained in this case, including Silmy Karim. The list of detainees is as follows:
Silmy Karim (SK) – Deputy Minister of Immigration and Correctional Affairs 2025-2026 and Director General of Immigration 2023-2024
Saffar Muhammad Godam (SMG) – Acting Director General of Immigration 2024-2025
Jaya Saputra (JS) – Director of Stay Permits and Immigration Status, Directorate General of Immigration
Tessar Bayu Setyaji (TBS) – Head of Sub-directorate for Stay Permit Status Change, Directorate of Stay Permits and Immigration Status
Bagus Bramantya (BGS) – Head of Sub-directorate, Directorate of Stay Permits
Ronald Arman Abdullah (RAA) – Head of Central Jakarta Immigration Office 2024-2025 and Head of Class I Special Non-TPI West Jakarta Immigration Office 2025-2026
Juniadi Sri Priambudi (JSP) – Head of ITAS Status Change Team
Gusti Benardiansyah (GST) – Staff of the Stay Permit Sub-directorate