Indonesia: Investigators Probe Money Laundering in Immigration Bribery Case

Indonesian investigators are delving into allegations of money laundering within a bribery scheme at the Ministry of Immigration and Penitentiary, specifically concerning the processing of foreign resident permits. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is exploring how proceeds from corruption may have been converted into assets.

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Whether this leads to money laundering, yes, we will certainly develop it further. Because there are many assets, there are several means of transport.

"Whether this leads to money laundering, yes, we will certainly develop it further. Because there are many assets, there are several means of transport," stated Achmad Taufik Husein, acting Director of Investigation at the KPK. This investigation is examining assets seized during raids following an arrest operation, including the potential use of nominee accounts to conceal the illicit funds before they were used to purchase assets.

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We will investigate the acquisition and whether it came from money laundering through nominee accounts and then purchased assets, that already constitutes elements of money laundering.

The case has resulted in the naming of eight suspects, including high-ranking officials such as Deputy Minister of Immigration and Penitentiary Silmy Karim and former Acting Director General of Immigration Saffar Muhammad Godam. The KPK alleges that these individuals received approximately 357 billion rupiah (around $22 million USD) from the processing of foreign worker permits between 2019 and 2025. These funds, reportedly collected through illegal levies, flowed through 96 bank accounts, according to the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center.

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The investigation of this case is a development of the case at the Ministry of Manpower.