Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is deepening its investigation into a massive extortion and bribery scheme within the Ministry of Manpower, where corrupt officials allegedly forced foreign workers to pay for permits—collecting at least USD 3.53 million since 2019.
According to KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo, the probe now focuses on how foreign workers entered the country and through which channels.
“KPK will examine the entire process of how foreign workers entered Indonesia. This will guide our investigators in understanding the full structure of the case,” he stated on Thursday, May 29, as quoted by metrotvnews.com.
Foreign nationals reportedly entered Indonesia via labor placement agencies and worked across various sectors, including construction and mining.
Investigators believe the extortion involved charging foreign workers illegal fees during the application of the Foreign Manpower Placement Plan (RPTKA), a mandatory work placement plan that precedes the issuance of residence and work permits.
The KPK has named eight individuals as suspects, though their identities remain confidential.
“These suspects forced prospective foreign workers to hand over money before they could legally work in Indonesia,” Budi said, adding that a full chronology will be made public soon.
USD 3.53 Million in Bribes Traced Through Testimonies and Luxury Vehicle Seizures
On Tuesday, May 27, the KPK examined four former and current Ministry of Manpower employees as witnesses. Among them was Gatot Widiartono, former Coordinator of Foreign Worker Utilization Control (PPTKA), and Putri Citra Wahyoe, a former hotline staffer and permit verifier.
Investigators focused on the flow of funds collected by the alleged perpetrators. “We are tracing the money trail related to the extortion by agents handling TKA permits,” Budi confirmed, as quoted by tempo.co.
Over the course of four days, from May 20 to 23, the KPK seized 13 luxury vehicles from eight different locations, including the Ministry’s office on Jalan Gatot Subroto and private residences. The confiscated assets include high-end models like a red BMW Z3, a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, and several Wuling Air EVs, believed to be bought with illicit funds.
Top Officials Grilled, but Stay Silent
Among those questioned was Haryanto, former Director General of Manpower Placement and Employment Expansion (Binapenta), who served during the critical 2019–2025 period. After a nine-hour interrogation at the KPK’s headquarters, he declined to comment, saying only, “Please ask the investigators,” as reported by detik.com.
Other senior officials questioned included Suhartono (Binapenta Director General from 2020–2023), Wisnu Pramono (Director of PPTKA, 2017–2019), and Devi Angraeni (PPTKA Director, 2024–2025).
The KPK stated that the case involves multiple violations, including coercion under Article 12e and illegal gratification under Article 12B of Indonesia’s anti-corruption law.
Scandal Threatens Indonesia’s Labor Integrity
The anti-graft body warned that the scandal could damage Indonesia’s labor landscape.
“The presence of potentially unqualified foreign workers due to bribery harms our national labor market. It’s unacceptable, especially when many Indonesians still struggle to find jobs.” Budi said, as quoted by inilah.com.
The KPK hopes this investigation will mark a turning point in employment governance.
“This case touches the heart of public concern. It must become a momentum to fix the way we manage manpower in Indonesia,” Budi added.
As of now, the investigation is ongoing. The KPK is expected to reveal the suspects’ identities and more details on the financial trail in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the Ministry of Manpower faces growing scrutiny as it tries to recover from one of the biggest foreign labor permit scandals in recent years.
Source: metrotvnews.com, tempo.co, detik.com, inilah.com, antaranews.com
Special Photo Credit: voi.id
