Yusril Admits Widespread Illegal Levies Still Occur in Prisons

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has revealed that numerous irregularities, including illegal levies, are still being committed by bureaucratic ranks in various places. Yusril said this stemmed from public reports he had received. “This is an important input, especially after the KPK uncovered alleged criminal acts of corruption, both those occurring in 2023-2024 and those happening now,” Yusril said in a video statement confirmed in Jakarta on Friday. He conveyed that the latest information his office received from the KPK concerned a corruption case under investigation within the ranks of the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. He added that the case was not limited to the 2023-2024 period when Silmy Karim served as Director General of Immigration, but has continued until now when he became Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections. The minister said these actions also involved many Immigration bureaucrats at the West Jakarta Immigration Office level and the former Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. The Coordinating Minister stressed that all of this must be clearly and thoroughly uncovered by the KPK, in accordance with its authority as an independent institution conducting investigations, inquiries, and prosecutions in the field of corruption. “I continue to monitor the progress of the investigation into the alleged corruption case within Immigration, particularly at the West Jakarta Immigration Office which has been investigated by the KPK,” he said. According to him, the case serves as a very important moment for his office to carry out reforms across all Immigration ranks. Therefore, Yusril ordered all Immigration personnel to be cooperative with the KPK by opening all data and providing all information so that nothing is covered up. In addition to the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, he emphasized that the examination must also involve all ranks, including the West Jakarta Immigration Office and the Jakarta Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration. Previously, the KPK revealed that Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections for the 2024-2026 period, Silmy Karim, and seven other suspects in the alleged corruption case collected up to Rp145.5 billion from alleged extortion practices at the Directorate General of Immigration during 2022-2026. KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto said the money from the alleged extortion was obtained by the suspects from foreign nationals, or service bureaus and sponsors handling residence permit applications for these foreign nationals. He appealed to all parties to wait for the legal process to run its course until the case file is declared to have sufficient evidence to be tested in court.