Indonesian deputy minister charged over blackmail in graft case

JAKARTA – Indonesia’s Deputy Manpower Minister was charged over extortion, anti-graft investigators said on Aug 22, after alleging the politician had benefited from illegal fees for the processing of safety permits.

The graft investigation was the first to implicate a member of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s Cabinet. Mr Prabowo, who was sworn in during October 2024, has campaigned against corruption.

Indonesian Deputy Manpower Minister Immanuel Ebenezer, a member of Mr Prabowo’s political party, was

arrested along with 10 other people investigated for the case.

They include officials with the Manpower Ministry and two employees of a training provider company, the anti-graft agency chief Setyo Budiyanto said at a press conference.

Immanuel, who was taken to the press conference wearing an orange vest, denied the extortion charge and apologised to the Indonesian President, his family and the Indonesian people, without saying what he was apologising for. Reuters could not immediately contact his lawyer.

He and the other defendants were accused of charging 6 million rupiah (S$470) to process safety permits needed by construction, mining or manufacturing employees to get work, far higher than the official rate of 250,000 rupiah, since 2019, Mr Budiyanto said.

Proceeds from the additional, illegal fees were distributed to ministry officials.

“If the employees did not pay as high as they were required to, the officials would blackmail them by delaying or refusing to process the safety certification application,” he said.

Fifteen cars, seven motorcycles and cash worth US$12,600 (S$16,240) were confiscated as evidence during investigators’ sting operations this week, he said.

An extortion charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Manpower Minister Yassierli told reporters on Aug 21 that the case was a huge blow as he has been working on internal governance since taking office 10 months ago.

Immanuel would be immediately replaced if found guilty, a presidential spokesperson has said. The Indonesian Manpower Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Aug 22. REUTERS