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JAKARTA: Indonesia’s anti-graft agency has been hit by an online gambling scandal that has implicated at least 17 current and former employees, highlighting the challenges the authorities face in their ongoing sweeping fight against corruption.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said on Tuesday (July 9) that past and present employees suspected of online betting include drivers and internal affairs personnel.
KPK Deputy Chairman Alexander Marwata revealed on Tuesday that since 2023, they have placed bets totaling about 111 million rupees ($6,850).
He added that while one person had bet Rs 74 lakh in 300 transactions, most others bet lower amounts, ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh per transaction.
Nine of them are no longer employed by the anti-corruption agency. KPK officials said they were fired for various reasons, including extortion and collecting illegal fees at the KPK detention center.
The anti-corruption agency is investigating. It has pledged to take firm action against those involved.
Alexander noted that it was too early to comment on possible sanctions against the offending employees, and he stressed the need to wait for the results of the investigation.
“Maybe they did it just for fun because they had nothing else to do,” local media Kompas quoted him as saying on Tuesday, adding that they may have been involved last year but had stopped this year.
The nonprofit Indonesian Anti-Corruption Watch (ICW) called for a thorough investigation and dismissal of any KPK employee found to be involved in online gambling.
ICW member Seira Tamara Herlambang stressed that employees of state institutions such as the KPK should set a good example for the public and should not participate in online gambling.
The Indonesian government warned in late June that online gambling was a problem. rampant National civil service.
Commenting on the KPK’s findings, Deputy Chairman Ma’ruf Amin said the online gambling law should be firmly enforced against organizers and participants.
He believes that a task force set up in mid-June to combat online gambling has uncovered more government employees who are also illegal gamblers.
He added that if they are found guilty, they should be punished without distinction. “Anyone, including Purge Committee employees or officials, soldiers or police, will be subject to legal process in accordance with the law.”
Achmad Baidowi, a member of the parliamentary committee that monitors corruption, told the media that the committee will ask the KPK to provide a full explanation of its employees’ suspected involvement in online gambling.
He added that the committee will also hold working meetings with the KPK to investigate the anti-corruption agency’s findings.
A report by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) in early July found that members of parliament were suspected of being involved in online gambling.
The report said that more than 1,000 people at the national and regional levels were allegedly involved in such activities, with a total betting amount of about Rs 2,500 crore involving 65,000 transactions.
PPATK head Ivan Yustiavandana said his agency had obtained detailed information on the transactions, including the full names of the participants, according to the Jakarta Globe.
However, the House Honorary Committee has yet to release the names, raising public concerns about the legislature’s resolve to address the issue.
The Internet Gambling Task Force said there are about 4 million online gamblers nationwide, according to the Jakarta Globe. 40% of them are between the ages of 31 and 50.
At the end of June, PPATK reported that the total cumulative transaction volume of online gambling reached 60 trillion rupiah in the first quarter of 2024, involving about 3 million players. About 2.19 million of them were from low-income groups.
Local media have reported several cases of government employees allegedly misappropriating funds for online gambling, including a military officer who is now under investigation by the military, according to CNN Indonesia.
Another officer allegedly committed suicide due to debt caused by online gambling.
In early June, an Indonesian policewoman was accused of killing her husband, a police officer, after allegedly handcuffing and burning him to death after discovering he had gambled away his salary bonus.
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