Indonesian politician demands action on gambling allegations against ex-minister
Lawmakers are calling for an investigation into allegations against former minister Budi Arie Setiadi.
Indonesia.– Politicians are pushing for action on allegations that former minister of communication and information Budi Arie Setiadi was involved in protecting illegal gambling websites during his tenure under Joko Widodo’s administration. It’s been alleged that he received a 50 per cent share of proceeds from sites that weren’t blocked.
Benny Kabur Harman, a member of the DPR’s Commission III, said: “Anyone involved in gambling cases must be brought to justice and punished.” He urged authorities to act decisively if evidence supports the claims against Budi Arie, who was recently removed from his role as minister of cooperatives in a cabinet reshuffle by president Prabowo Subianto.
The allegations arose in a trial testimonies, including from Denden Imadudin Soleh, a former Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) employee and defendant in the case. Soleh alleged that Budi Arie was aware of and benefited from arrangements to shield online gambling platforms.
Budi Arie has vehemently denied the accusations, calling them “an evil narrative attacking my personal dignity and integrity.” He says he neither knew of nor received any illicit payments and that he worked to shut down illegal gambling sites.
