KPK seizes over Rp6 billion in Bali immigration stay-permit probe
Indonesia’s anti-graft agency has seized more than Rp6 billion while questioning Bali immigration officials in an ongoing investigation into alleged illicit payments and extortion in the processing of foreign nationals’ stay permits…
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· Event date: · 4 min read
Denpasar — — Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has seized more than Rp6 billion in cash during an investigation into alleged corruption in the processing of foreign nationals’ stay permits, after questioning three Bali immigration officials at Denpasar City Police headquarters on Friday, 28 August 2026.
According to KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo, investigators confiscated the money while examining payments linked to the handling of stay-permit applications for foreign nationals in the immigration system. The funds were seized from witnesses who were being questioned at the Denpasar City Police station, and are believed to be connected to transactions in the stay-permit process, the spokesperson said.
The three officials were summoned as witnesses in the case and not named as suspects. They are R Haryo Sakti, head of the Denpasar Immigration Office; Alberto Vicense Cianry Lake, head of the Stay Permit and Immigration Status Section at the Denpasar office; and Kadek Okta Dwi Putra, head of the Immigration Traffic and Stay Permit Section at the Singaraja Immigration Office.
Scope of the investigation
The KPK is investigating alleged extortion and gratification in the processing of foreign nationals’ stay permits within the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (Imipas) and the Directorate General of Immigration over the 2022–2026 period. The case centres on accusations that immigration officials demanded payments from visa and immigration service agencies beyond officially stipulated state fees so applications for temporary stay permits (KITAS), permanent stay permits (KITAP) and other immigration services could proceed without obstruction.
The investigation forms part of a broader case that has led to the naming of former Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections Silmy Karim and several Directorate General of Immigration officials as suspects on allegations of extortion and acceptance of gratuities in relation to stay permits for foreign nationals. The allegations remain under investigation and have not yet been tested in court.
KPK has stated that the conduct under scrutiny falls under provisions of Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Law covering extortion and illicit payments by public officials. The precise classification of the seized Rp6 billion, whether as suspected bribes, illicit proceeds or other evidentiary funds, has not been publicly detailed by the commission.
Searches in Bali and evidence
The questioning of the three Bali immigration officials followed earlier searches by KPK at the Denpasar Immigration Office and two visa and immigration service agencies in Bali. According to KPK, investigators conducted the searches from 17 to 19 June 2026 at PT Visa Empat Bali, CV Visa Agung Bali Teratai Promanende and the Denpasar Class I Immigration Office, seizing documents and electronic evidence believed to be related to the alleged extortion scheme.
The seizure of more than Rp6 billion in cash at Denpasar City Police headquarters on 28 August 2026 adds to a wider body of evidence KPK has gathered in the case. Other material evidence in the broader investigation, including funds and electronic records, has been estimated by one report to total around Rp17.5 billion in various forms. KPK has not publicly broken down how much of that amount is linked specifically to Bali-based activities.
Status of Bali officials and implications
As of the latest reporting, the three Bali immigration officials examined in Denpasar have not been designated as suspects, and were questioned in their capacity as witnesses to alleged practices in the issuance and extension of stay permits. The KPK’s investigation remains ongoing, and the commission has indicated it is continuing to analyse financial flows and procedural practices in the immigration system.
For foreign residents and applicants, the case highlights scrutiny of how temporary and permanent stay permits and related immigration services have been processed in recent years. KPK has focused particularly on relationships between immigration offices and private visa and immigration service agencies, including whether extra payments were solicited as a precondition for smooth processing of applications. The commission has not publicly identified specific individual applications or detailed the transaction chains tied to the seized Rp6 billion.
Sources
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