Indonesia's Minister of Information and Communications Technology Arrested

Jakarta [Indonesia], May 18: Indonesian authorities have arrested the Minister of Information and Communications Technology Johnny Gerard Plate on suspicion of involvement in a corruption case that caused the loss of about half a billion dollars.
The Indonesian Attorney General's Office (AGO) announced on May 17 that it had detained Information and Communications Technology Minister Johnny Gerard Plate in custody to investigate his role in the corruption case . He was arrested after interrogation at AGO headquarters in Jakarta.
According to Bloomberg, Mr. Plate is suspected of corruption in the project to buy equipment to build thousands of 4G wave stations carried out by an agency of his Ministry of Information and Communications Technology.
AGO official Kuntadi said Plate was arrested because he was a budget manager and minister. Like many Indonesians, Mr. Kuntadi's name has only one word.
The corruption case caused a loss of 8 trillion rupiah ($544 million), according to AGO. Another official told Reuters that the minister violated anti-corruption laws, which carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Indonesia's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said it would comply with the legal process and its public service role would not be affected by the case.
President Joko Widodo's office called Plate's arrest a surprise. "The president has repeatedly reminded officials to work carefully," said JaleswariPramodhawardhani, an official in the presidential office.
Plate is the fifth minister in President Widodo's administration to be charged with corruption. In 2021, the ministers of the Indonesian Ministry of Social Work and the Ministry of Fisheries were sentenced to prison for separate corruption cases.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper