JAKARTA: Indonesia’s anti-graft company has been hit by an online gaming controversy with at least 17 current and former personnel implicated, in a signal of the difficulties facing authorities as they keep up a broad assault.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) reported on Tuesday ( Jul 9 ) on the status of the former and current employees who allegedly placed bets online, including those who worked as drivers and internal affairs staff.
Since 2023, they have placed a total of 111 million rupiah ( US$ 6, 850 ) in online bets, according to KPK Deputy Chairman Alexander Marwata, who shared the information on Tuesday.
He added that while one man wagered 74 million ringgit across 300 purchases, most of the others settled for lower bets, between 100, 000 ringgit and 300, 000 ringgit per purchase.
Nine of them are not longer employed by the anti-corruption system. According to KPK officials, they were fired for bribery and for collecting improper fees at the KPK detention center for a variety of reasons, including blackmail.
The anti-graft company is carrying out examinations. It has pledged to take swift motion against those responsible.
Mr. Alexander emphasized the necessity to wait for the analysis results, noting that it was early to comment on possible sanctions against the accidental staff.  ,
He claimed on Tuesday that “perhaps it was just for fun because they were idle,” according to a statement released by local internet outlet Kompas. They were perhaps involved last year but had stopped playing it this year.  ,
Indonesia Corruption Watch, a non-profit organization, has demanded that any KPK individual who has been linked to online gambling get fired.  ,
Seira Tamara Herlambang, an ICW part, argued that people of state organizations like the KPK may provide positive cases for the consumer rather than be linked to online gaming.  ,
The Indonesian authorities had issued a warning in late June that the issue of online gambling was prevalent in all of the nation’s legal services industries.
Vice President Ma’ruf Amin said that online gaming laws should be strictly enforced against both the organisers and members in response to the KPK results.
He thinks a devoted task force formed in mid-June to eradicate online gaming has discovered more state workers who are also dishonest gamblers.
If they are found criminal, they may face punishment without prejudice, he added. ” People, including KPK workers or officials, military or police officers, will certainly face legal procedures according to the law”,.
A parliamentary committee overseeing bribery, led by Mr. Achmad Baidowi, has informed the press that the percentage will call on the KPK to give an in-depth argument regarding the alleged involvement of its employees in online betting.  ,
The payment will also have a working conference with KPK to look into the anti-corruption company’s observations, he added.
Members of parliament were allegedly engaged in online gambling, according to a report released by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center ( PPATK) in early July.
More than 1, 000 people at both the national and regional levels reportedly did therefore, with stakes totalling around 25 billion ringgit across 65, 000 deals, the report stated.
According to The Jakarta Globe, PPATK’s mind Ivan Yustiavandana mentioned that his company had secured the specifics of these deals, including the full names of those involved.  ,
The honorable council of the House of Representatives has not yet released the names, which raises common questions about the legislative body’s dedication to addressing the issue.
According to the online gaming job force, there are roughly four million players in the country, according to Jakarta Globe. They range in age from 31 to 50, or 40 percent.  ,
PPATK reported in late June that approximately three million players were involved in the entire accumulated transactions for online wagering in the first quarter of 2024, or 600 trillion ringgit. Around 2.19 million of them come from the low-income party.  ,
A military officer is accused of using money for online gambling in a number of cases, according to local advertising. The agent is currently being investigated by the defense, according to CNN Indonesia.  ,
Another defense officer allegedly committed suicide as a result of mounting debts from online gaming.
An Indonesian estimate was charged with killing her father, a fellow police officer, in early June, reportedly by handcuffing him and burning him to death after learning that he had been gambling away his pay extra.