Agriculture Minister Fires 13 Officials over Online Gambling
Agriculture Minister Fires 13 Officials over Online Gambling
Reporter
August 31, 2026 | 05:17 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has permanently dismissed 13 echelon officials within the Ministry of Agriculture following allegations of their involvement in online gambling. Amran stated that the decision was finalized during an early-morning leadership meeting beginning at 6:00 a.m. WIB, which focused on reviewing the internal investigation findings regarding the implicated personnel.
“Today, we held a meeting starting at 6:00 a.m. During the meeting, we took action against these officials. No need to mention their names, just their positions. We have permanently dismissed 13 officials because of their misconduct and involvement in online gambling. We have removed all 13,” Minister Amran said during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, August 31, 2026, as quoted by Antara.
According to Amran, the terminations followed reports received by the ministry regarding the officials’ alleged online gambling activities, which underwent thorough verification before final action was taken. He emphasized that every official proven guilty was permanently discharged, while instructing the ministry’s Inspectorate General and Secretariat General to swiftly appoint replacements to maintain uninterrupted public services.
The Agriculture Minister revealed that investigative findings uncovered individual online gambling deposits approaching Rp200 million, providing a firm basis for the permanent dismissals.
Amran noted that all 13 dismissed personnel held echelon posts and were subjected to exhaustive inquiries until all supporting evidence was fully corroborated. He stressed that civil servant involvement in online gambling cannot be tolerated, as it violates religious values, public sector ethics, and the responsibility of civil servants.
Amran stated that civil servants must set an example for the public, meaning officials proven to have committed violations are unfit to retain their positions, despite previously receiving opportunities to reform. He added that several of the individuals had previously received counseling and formal warnings for similar infractions but repeated the offense, leaving permanent termination as the last option.
Amran emphasized that the strict policy serves as disciplinary enforcement to make employees realize the consequences of misconduct and as a firm warning to all staff across the Ministry of Agriculture. He assured that the removal of the 13 officials would not hinder ministry operations given its workforce of roughly 52,000 employees, adding that all vacated positions will be filled promptly.
The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) previously reported that the Greater Jakarta area (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi/Jabodetabek) emerged as Indonesia’s largest online gambling hub throughout 2025.
PPATK Head Ivan Yustiavandana stated that online gambling activities were heavily concentrated in Jabodetabek due to the region’s higher population density compared to other areas, combined with higher digital penetration rates.
“Online gambling activities are concentrated in Jabodetabek because the population is larger compared to other regions. In addition, the digital penetration rate of the community is also relatively higher,” Ivan told Tempo on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
Ivan noted that the government has implemented several preventive measures, including taking down illegal gambling websites via the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi), freezing bank accounts and QRIS codes used for gambling deposits, and launching joint public awareness campaigns with PPATK and stakeholders.
Read: PPATK: World Cup Online Gambling Hits Rp1.02 Trillion
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