JAKARTA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Friday officially designated Deputy Manpower Minister Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan a suspect in an extortion case related to occupational health and safety certification, underscoring the government's commitment to anti-corruption efforts, KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto said.

Budiyanto revealed that the arrest resulted from a KPK sting operation carried out on Wednesday evening. The operation led to Gerungan's detention alongside 10 others and the seizure of numerous assets, including 15 cars and seven motorcycles.

According to the KPK, Gerungan and his associates allegedly demanded payment far exceeding the official rate of 275,000 rupiah (about 17 U.S. dollars) for the certification. Workers were reportedly charged as much as 6 million rupiah, generating illicit gains estimated at 81 billion rupiah.

Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, inaugurated in October 2024, was detained by the KPK for 20 days starting from Friday, pending further investigations. ■