President dismisses dy minister Silmy Karim following extortion case

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto officially dismissed Silmy Karim as Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections on Thursday, following Karim's suspect status by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for alleged extortion and bribery.

"This afternoon, the president signed the letter of dismissal (of Karim as Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections)," State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi spoke to reporters on Thursday evening.

On the same occasion, Hadi also expressed the government's appreciation to all law enforcement officials who have worked hard in combating corruption.

"Allow us to express our appreciation to all law enforcement officials, including the Prosecutor's Office, the Police, and the Corruption Eradication Commission, who continue to work extraordinarily hard to combat corruption," he remarked.

When asked about Karim's replacement, Hadi informed that the president has not yet appointed a replacement.

"For the time being, no decision has been made regarding his replacement, as the Minister can still carry out his daily duties," he confirmed.

Furthermore, he had also coordinated directly with the Minister of Immigration and Corrections, Agus Andrianto, to ensure that Karim's arrest does not disrupt services within the ministry.

Earlier, the KPK announced that the alleged extortion case involving Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections Silmy Karim in obtaining foreign residence permits at the Directorate General of Immigration occurred between 2022 and 2026.

"The timeframe of the incident occurred between 2022 and 2026," KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto explained.

Thus, Hadi stated that the case occurred when the Directorate General of Immigration was still under the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, which later transferred it to the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections.

On June 3, 2026, the KPK confirmed a sting operation (OTT) at the West Jakarta Class I Special Non-TPI Immigration Office.

Investigations found that Silmy Karim and seven other suspects raked in Rp145.5 billion (US$7.8 million) from alleged extortion practices at the Directorate General of Immigration between 2022 and 2026.

Related news: Silmy Karim receives Rp100 mln weekly from immigration extortion

Related news: KPK detains Dy Minister, 7 officials in immigration extortion case

Related news: Indonesia's deputy minister arrives at KPK amid graft probe

Translator: Genta Tenri, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Editor: Azis Kurmala

Copyright © ANTARA 2026