Jakarta. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned the labor attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Friday as part of its investigation into a Rp 85 billion ($5.1 million) extortion case linked to the issuance of foreign worker permits at the Manpower Ministry.

KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said the attaché, Harry Ayusman, was summoned to clarify the alleged flow of illicit funds collected from agents handling the placement of foreign workers in Indonesia.

“The witness was questioned about his understanding of the suspected money trail from foreign worker agents to certain officials within the Ministry,” Budi told reporters at the KPK headquarters.

Two other witnesses were also questioned: ministry employee Ilyasa Darusalam and private individual Bayu Widodo Sugiarto. Investigators are examining how funds extorted from labor agents allegedly circulated among officials involved in processing the foreign worker employment plan permits (RPTKA).

According to the KPK, the total amount extorted between 2019 and 2024 has now reached Rp 85 billion, up from an earlier estimate of Rp 53.7 billion. Eight officials from the Manpower Ministry have been named suspects and detained. Part of the money, around Rp 8.94 billion, was reportedly distributed to 85 officials in the ministry’s foreign labor directorate as “biweekly payments.”

Budi said investigators have questioned more than 20 labor agents and seized 44 land assets in Karanganyar, Central Java, believed to have been purchased using the illegal funds. The confiscated assets, which include land, buildings, and vehicles, are being treated as evidence to support the ongoing case and recover state losses.

Those charged include several top officials from the Manpower Ministry, among them former Director-General for Labor Placement Suhartono, Director for Foreign Workers Management Haryanto, and former Foreign Worker Control Director Devi Angraeni.

KPK’s investigation continues as the agency seeks to trace remaining assets and uncover the full extent of the corruption network behind the foreign worker extortion scheme.