Global Courant 2023-05-18 08:00:00
JAKARTA – Indonesian authorities on Wednesday arrested a senior cabinet minister on charges of corruption in a case they say caused trillions of rupiah in state losses.
Johnny G. Plate is the fifth minister in President Joko Widodo’s administration to be charged with corruption. Most recently, its social affairs and fisheries ministers were jailed in 2021 for bribery.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) said Johnny was arrested for his involvement in procuring equipment needed to build thousands of communications towers, which his ministry said would bring the internet to thousands of villages by 2020.
Johnny was arrested “as a user of the budget and as a minister,” said AGO official Kuntadi, without specifying the minister’s specific role.
Another official, Ketut Sumedana, said the minister allegedly violated Indonesia’s corruption law, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
In response to the arrest, the communications ministry said in a statement that it will abide by the legal process and that its public services will not be affected by the case.
Meanwhile, President Jokowi’s office, as he is known locally, said the arrest was unexpected.
“On many occasions, the president has reminded officials to work carefully,” said Jaleswari Pramodhawardhani, an official at the presidential office.
A lawyer for the minister was not immediately available for comment.
The alleged corruption cost about 8 trillion rupiah (S$722 million) in state losses, the AGO said.
Indonesia fell four points on its corruption perception index to 110 out of 180 countries last year, according to global corruption watchdog Transparency International. REUTERS
