Pramono Issues Stern Directive Regarding Firefighter Recruitment Fraud
A resident of East Jakarta, Wintarko Setiawan (3ly), has fallen victim to an alleged fraud involving the recruitment of Jakarta Fire and Rescue Department (Damkar) personnel, resulting in a loss of Rp 70 million. The perpetrator is reportedly a member of the fire department itself.
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has issued a stern directive for the official to be dismissed immediately. He demanded that fraudulent practices in the firefighter recruitment process be eradicated.
“I have made a statement and requested the relevant institutions, including the Fire Department, that whoever is involved in such actions should simply be dismissed,” Pramono stated in Setiabudi, South Jakarta, on Friday (2/10/2026). “There is no tolerance for such behaviour within the Jakarta Provincial Government,” he added.
Pramono also called upon law enforcement to investigate the case, asserting that there would be no room for negotiation. “As the Governor of Jakarta, I provide full support for law enforcement. If there are findings or strong evidence, regardless of the official’s rank, once the act is known, I will terminate their status as a Jakarta civil servant. Thus, there will be no bargaining regarding such matters,” he added.
Police Intervention
Police have confirmed that the suspect is a member of the East Jakarta fire department. “Yes, the suspect is an alleged member of the East Jakarta fire department. One person,” said AKP I Made Budi, Head of Public Relations for the East Jakarta Police, to reporters on Thursday (1/10/2026).
Budi noted that the report regarding the recruitment fraud has been received. Regarding the investigation process, he could not yet provide further updates. “The report has been received by the police station, but whether the reported individual has been interrogated or not, I do not have further information yet,” he said.
Chronology of the Fraud
According to Antara, Wintarko explained that the alleged fraud began when he spoke with a colleague, a teacher at an elementary school in Kramat Jati, in August 2025. He claimed to have participated in the firefighter selection process in 2018-2019 but failed to pass the various testing stages.
“Eventually, that teacher introduced me to the fire department side, claiming they could ensure my success, and I agreed. I then had to find the funds; that amount is not small, especially for someone from a humble background,” Wintarako said.
Wintarko admitted to borrowing Rp 70 million from Bank DKI using collateral. After the money was handed over, the promise of securing the position never materialised. “For that amount of money, he only gave promises, saying it was being processed, but until now, nothing has happened. From August 2025 to 2026, there has been no progress; the realisation is zero,” Wintarko said.
He subsequently contacted the individual via WhatsApp to demand certainty and expressed his intention to report the matter to the police. “He even challenged me, saying, ‘Go ahead and report it to the police, I will follow the police procedures.’ That is why I finally reported it,” he said.
He mentioned that since reporting in early August, he has seen no progress regarding his report at the East Jakarta Metro Police. Wintarko returned to the station on Monday (28/9) to enquire about the status of the case. Wintarko admitted he must pay approximately Rp 2.1 million per month to service his debt and interest. He hopes the investigation proceeds swiftly to bring clarity to the matter, particularly regarding the funds spent on the unfulfilled recruitment promise.