Indonesia flags 1.4 million social-aid recipients over suspected online gambling

Indonesia’s Social Affairs Ministry is investigating more than 1.4 million social-aid recipients flagged as potentially involved in online gambling, Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said.

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More than 1.4 million, and we are currently investigating it.

The ministry will screen and verify the data to determine whether recipients themselves gambled online or whether relatives or other people used their identities or bank accounts. Some recipients have already provided clarifications and promised not to gamble online again, Yusuf said.

He said much of the suspected activity appeared to involve family members, including children, grandchildren, husbands or wives, rather than the aid recipients listed on the accounts. The ministry will continue its investigation and conduct checks on the ground while coordinating with local governments and social welfare groups to educate beneficiaries.

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Based on the data we received from PPATK, we are investigating it, screening it and continuing to ensure that social-aid recipients suspected of online gambling have the opportunity to provide clarification.

The ministry also received data on 1,900 employees suspected of online gambling, including civil servants and government contract workers. Yusuf said officials were tracing the cases and would impose sanctions under applicable rules. Possible measures include warnings, delayed performance allowances, demotion and, for contract workers, non-renewal of contracts.

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So the account holder is the beneficiary listed in the social-aid recipient’s account. The non-account holder could be the husband, wife, children or grandchildren in the same household.

“We are investigating and will definitely take action, from warnings and demotion to delaying performance allowances,” Yusuf said. “For government contract workers, we may not renew their contracts.”

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We are investigating and will definitely take action, from warnings, demotion and delaying performance allowances. For government contract workers, we may not renew their contracts.