Special Corruption Code 'Malaikat' Used for Immigration Officials' Bribes, KPK Says

Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Deputy Minister of Immigration and Correctional Facilities, Silmy Karim, a suspect in a corruption case involving the processing of foreign resident permits. The allegations suggest Karim received illicit funds regularly since his time as Director General of Immigration.

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The money was distributed to the perpetrators in the Directorate General of Immigration/Ministry of Immigration every week on Friday. One of them, brother SK, received a routine share of Rp100 million per week.

According to KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto, an investigation into financial transactions linked to 35 officials within the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Facilities between 2019 and 2025 uncovered a flow of funds totaling Rp366.7 billion across 96 bank accounts. Budiyanto stated that this money was distributed weekly to corrupt officials, with Karim allegedly receiving a routine share of Rp100 million per week.

To conceal these illicit payments, the involved parties reportedly employed special distribution codes. One such code, 'malaikat' (angel), was allegedly used to refer to money intended for high-ranking officials within the Directorate General of Immigration. Other codes, such as references to payments for a band's concert, including terms like vocalist, guitarist, backing vocal, and choreographer, were reportedly used to represent the flow of money to specific individuals.

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To disguise the money distribution, the parties used special distribution codes. One of them was the use of the term 'malaikat' which meant distribution of money for high-ranking officials in the Directorate General of Immigration/Ministry of Immigration.

The KPK further revealed that the illicit funds were used for personal gain, asset purchases, and business activities, such as establishing a towing company to disguise the source of the income. The investigation into these alleged corrupt practices is ongoing.

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Other codes used terms like concert payments for a band, such as vocalist, guitarist, backing vocal, and choreographer, which represented the flow of money to certain parties.