Triggering Criminal Actions, Jokowi Forms Online Judicial Task Force

Formation Of The Online Judicial Task Force

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) issued a decree to form an Online Gambling Eradication Task Force (Satgas) in Presidential Decree (Keppres) Number 21 of 2024 concerning the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force which was published in Jakarta on June 14.

The Online Judi Task Force will be led by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Hadi Tjahjanto. In the copy file of the Presidential Decree, the consideration of forming a Task Force because gambling activities are illegal and result in financial losses, social and psychological disorders that can lead to criminal acts.

In addition, online gambling activities are also considered to cause public unrest, so decisive and integrated steps need to be taken immediately to eradicate them.

Quoted from ANTARA, President Jokowi involved cross-ministerial/institutional roles in realizing the acceleration of eradicating online gambling in Indonesia.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs as Chair of the Task Force, accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy as Deputy Chair of the Task Force, Minister of Communication and Information Budi Arie as Daily Chair of Prevention, and Director General of Information and Public Communication of the Ministry of Communication and Information Usman Kansong as Deputy Chair of the Prevention Daily.

The Online Gambling Eradication Task Force was also strengthened by 26 members of the Prevention Division carried out by inter-ministerial/institutional authorities, ranging from the Ministry of Religion, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Department of Payment System Policy of Bank Indonesia, Financial Services Authority, Attorney General's Office, to the TNI-Polri.

The National Police Chief, General Listyo Sigit, is trusted by the President to carry out the position of Daily Chair of Law Enforcement consisting of 12 deputy officers across ministries/agencies to determine the priorities of law enforcement, investigations, recommendations to the Head of the Task Force, to monitoring the situation.

The working period of the Task Force, in accordance with Article 13, comes into effect from the stipulation of the Presidential Decree until December 31, 2024.

Article 14 states that all costs needed in carrying out the Task Force's duties are borne by the State Budget of ministries/agencies and/or other legitimate sources in accordance with the provisions of the legislation.

President Jokowi in a virtual statement in Jakarta, Wednesday, June 12, emphasized the government's seriousness in eradicating online gambling practices by closing millions of gambling sites that are considered disturbing to the public.

"Until now, 2.1 million online gambling sites have been closed and the Online Judi Task Force has been formed to accelerate the eradication of online gambling," he said.