KPK NTB Immigration Sting Op Confiscates Billions in Cash

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In its latest sting operation that saw the arrest of immigration officer Kurniadie, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) discovered an unusual graft money handover where Rp1.2 billion in cash were placed inside a trash can.

“The bribe suspect threw a plastic bag filled with Rp1.2 billion cash into the immigration office’s trash can,” said KPK deputy chairman Alexander Marwata on Tuesday.

According to Alex, the graft money was placed by Wisata Bahagia director Liliana Hidayat in the trash bin in front of the office room of Immigration Office’s head of intelligence and enforcement Yusriansyah Fazrin.

The three people were named as suspects by the KPK in its pre-investigation.

Read: Minister Yasonna Upset by Immigration Officer`s Arrest by KPK

The money was said to be used to drop a tourist visit permit violation by an Australian and Singaporean national that used a tourist’s permit to stay and work at the Wyndham Sundancer Lombok. KPK also revealed that the two foreigners are also owners of a tourist resort in Lombok.

Moreover, the KPK said that the communication between suspects was strictly done via written notes. Liliana initially offered Rp300 million but was refused by the Immigration officers and eventually was bumped up the graft to Rp1.2 billion which was then placed in a trash bin in front of Yusriansyah Fazrin’s office room.

The money was partially kept by Yusriansyah and intended to distribute Rp85 million in cash inside several envelopes that were confiscated by the KPK. The people arrested in the sting operation were taken to the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) police headquarters with 13 people returning the graft money.

AJI NUGROHO