On November 21, Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Immigration, Silmy Karim, was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) after approximately 10 hours of interrogation at the agency's headquarters. He is accused of irregularities in managing immigration documents from 2023 to 2024, while serving as Director General of Immigration under President Joko Widodo.
KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo confirmed to Reuters that the case involves corruption during that period. After being questioned on the evening of November 20, Karim appeared in an orange prison uniform and was handcuffed on the morning of November 21 to be transferred to detention. The KPK has also identified seven other suspects in this case, with further details expected to be announced on November 21.
Just one day earlier, the Indonesian Attorney General's Office (AGO) arrested Dadan Hindayana, former head of the agency responsible for President Prabowo Subianto's free meal program aimed at combating malnutrition, on corruption charges. According to AGO investigator Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, the program was implemented through organizations operating in schools, and investigators believe these organizations were exploited for criminal activities.
Previously, in April, Indonesia's Chief Ombudsman was arrested just six days after his appointment for accepting bribes from a local nickel company.
Reacting to these incidents, Cabinet Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the government respects the legal procedures of the KPK and AGO, while expressing concern about the consecutive arrests over the past two days, which he described as “unexpected.”
