Indonesia’s anti-corruption drive has escalated following the arrest of Deputy Minister for Immigration and Correctional Affairs, marking the second major government figure to face charges in just 48 hours.
The official, Silmy Karim, was taken into custody by the anti-graft agency (KPK) on Thursday in connection with alleged malpractice regarding the processing of immigration documents.
Silmy was seen leaving the KPK headquarters in handcuffs and a suspect’s orange jacket after a 10-hour interrogation session that began Wednesday evening, reports Reuters.
According to KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo, the investigation focuses on activities between 2023 and 2024, a period when Silmy served as the Director General for Immigration under the previous administration of Joko Widodo. The agency has identified seven additional suspects in the case.
This development follows the Wednesday detention of Dadan Hindayana by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).
Hindayana, the former head of the agency managing President Prabowo Subianto’s signature free meals programme, is a suspect in a separate case involving governance and procurement irregularities.
Authorities have clarified that the investigations into Silmy and Dadan are not related.
These arrests align with President Prabowo’s 2024 inaugural promise to eliminate corruption and protect the nation’s natural resources from illegal exploitation.
The administration has seen several high-level legal actions this year, including the April arrest of the chief ombudsman, who was detained only six days into his term for allegedly accepting bribes from a nickel company.
State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi expressed the government’s “deep concern” regarding the frequency of these high-profile arrests over the past two days.
However, he reaffirmed that the administration respects the independent legal processes currently being executed by both the KPK and the AGO. Additional information regarding the case against Silmy Karim is expected to be made public later on Thursday.
