Yusril Instructs All Immigration Officials Not to Flee When Summoned by KPK

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra has instructed Deputy Minister for Immigration and Corrections Silmy Karim and all immigration staff summoned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to be cooperative and comply with all stages of the investigation. He said the government places its full trust in the KPK as an independent institution to thoroughly investigate the case to uphold justice. “We assure that the government will not obstruct the legal process. We are opening the widest possible coordination and are ready to assist KPK investigators if they require additional data or information,” Yusril stated in Jakarta on Thursday (4/6). He urged 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. Yusril expressed appreciation for the KPK’s consistent performance in eradicating corruption. Regarding reports to the Head of State, he said the President is believed to have received periodic reports from the Attorney General’s Office, considering that the KPK is institutionally independent and has no structural obligation to report directly to the President in the realm of investigation. The coordinating minister stated that the ongoing case is known to be related to alleged bureaucratic manipulation within the Directorate General of Immigration concerning the acceleration of Limited Stay Permit (ITAS) and Permanent Stay Permit (ITAP) issuance, particularly for foreign workers. In this case, a number of individuals allegedly collected unofficial fees outside the regulations so that documents could be completed more quickly. Under the provisions of the Corruption Crime Law, the act of unilaterally collecting fees that are not deposited into the state treasury falls into the category of extortion. Responding to this situation, Minister for Immigration and Corrections Agus Andrianto moved swiftly by implementing total reform of the service system since the Red and White Cabinet was first formed. The Ministry of Immigration and Corrections has now officially abolished all paid acceleration schemes outside procedures, such as the practice of one or two-day express lanes with illegal tariffs. All immigration services must now proceed according to standard procedures, operational costs are guaranteed to be transparent, and must be fully deposited into the state treasury as Non-Tax State Revenue. This clean-up measure is expected to serve as a moment of reflection and total evaluation so that future immigration services become much better, cleaner, and uphold integrity.