TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Police arrest ministry employee for involvement in online gambling

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, November 1, 2024

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Police arrest ministry employee for involvement in online gambling Local officials install a banner at a government building in Bogor, West Java, on June 30, 2024, as part of public campaign to discourage online gambling. (AFP/Aditya Aji)

T

he National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) arrested an employee of the Communications and Digital Ministry on Thursday for his alleged involvement in online gambling.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said the investigation was ongoing but declined to provide further details about the arrest.

“An employee of the communications ministry is still being examined to deepen the investigation. Police investigators are still working, and so we are waiting for the results from investigators,” Trunoyudo said, as quoted by kompas.com.

Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said her ministry had been coordinating with law enforcement regarding the investigation of employees allegedly involved in online gambling and had instructed other staff members to be cooperative if further investigation was needed.

“Law enforcement will be carried out firmly and without favoritism against anyone involved, especially if it is an official within our ministry,” Meutya said in her official statement, as quoted by Antara.

“We will be firm and serious on the issue of all criminal offenses, especially online gambling to protect the people so [they can] be safe in the digital space. It is our commitment according to the President's direction.”

Morning Brief

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.

Delivered straight to your inbox three times weekly, this curated briefing provides a concise overview of the day's most important issues, covering a wide range of topics from politics to culture and society.

By registering, you agree with The Jakarta Post's

Thank You

for signing up our newsletter!

Please check your email for your newsletter subscription.

View More Newsletter

President Prabowo Subianto recently affirmed his commitment to eradicating online gambling, saying it was not aligned with the nation’s values.

He asked law enforcement officials to help solve the problem, which he described as a “serious threat” to the nation, along with smuggling, fraud and corruption.

He added that these severe threats could be mitigated only through strict law enforcement, good intelligence and strong evidence.

Presidential Communications Office head Hasan Nasbi said the President would prepare steps to eradicate online gambling.

“There will be steps. However, we will see, I don't know the details yet. There will be steps for that. There will be steps,” he said, as quoted by kompas.com.

In June, then-coordinating political, legal and security minister Hadi Tjanjanto said 2.7 million Indonesians were gambling online.

Some 2 percent of the players, or 80,000, were children under 10 years old, he added.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!