Jakarta. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has discovered four mobile phones hidden in the ceiling of the official residence of former Deputy Manpower Minister Immanuel “Noel” Ebenezer, deepening the high-profile corruption probe into a massive extortion scheme at the Ministry of Manpower.

KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo said investigators found the devices during a search of Immanuel’s government residence in Pancoran, South Jakarta, on Tuesday.

“Investigators discovered four handsets hidden in the ceiling. These electronic devices will be examined further for potential evidence,” Budi told reporters.

The commission plans to extract data from the phones to determine whether they contain communications, financial records, or other information that could provide new leads in the case.

Immanuel, detained alongside 10 other suspects, is accused of participating in a scheme that illegally inflated fees for occupational safety and health (K3) certification -- a service critical for workplace safety compliance in Indonesia.

Vehicles and Cash
According to investigators, ministry officials in collusion with private vendors raised certification fees from the official rate of Rp 275,000 ($18) to as high as Rp 6 million ($390), more than 20 times the legal tariff. The scheme, which began in 2019, allegedly generated at least Rp 81 billion ($5 million) in illicit revenue.

Of that amount, Immanuel is suspected of receiving Rp 3 billion ($195,000) in cash along with a Ducati motorcycle and a Toyota Alphard luxury van.

KPK identified Irvian Bobby Mahendro, coordinator of the K3 services unit, as the alleged mastermind of the network, pocketing Rp 69 billion ($4.5 million). Nicknamed “the Sultan” by colleagues for his lavish lifestyle, Irvian is accused of amassing wealth far beyond his declared assets.

Another high-ranking official, Fahrurozi, the ministry’s Director General of Labor Supervision and K3, is alleged to have received regular kickbacks of Rp 50 million ($3,250) per week from the scheme.

So far, investigators have confiscated 17 cars and seven motorcycles, including luxury models, from the suspects. KPK has pledged to apply a “follow the money” approach to trace assets linked to the corruption.

The scandal marks the first major corruption case implicating a member of President Prabowo Subianto’s cabinet, only months after he took office in October 2025. It has raised questions about the government’s commitment to its anti-graft stance, even as the KPK continues to highlight the systemic risks of corruption in regulatory services.

The president dismissed Immanuel from his post immediately after he was confirmed as a corruption suspect last Friday.