TNI Says Online Gambling Soldiers Using Unit Money Have Been Processed

Military illustration. (Unsplash-1LTunOff3es)

JAKARTA - The Task Force for Prevention, Monitoring and Enforcement of Violations of TNI Soldiers said that the case of soldiers suspected of using unit money for online gambling (online) entered the trial stage in military courts.

Deputy Inspector General (Wairjen) of the TNI Maj. Gen. Alvis Anwar as the secretary of the task force explained that if the court had handed down a verdict, the TNI would impose sanctions determining its status as a soldier, including dismissal or dishonorable dismissal (PTDH).

"If it turns out that the soldier used unit funds and the amount was large in ways that tricked his commander, he could have arrived there (fired, ed.), but now it has not arrived there (imposed sanctions, ed.), because it is still in the trial process," Alvis said when met on the sidelines of his activities at TNI Headquarters, Cilangkap, Jakarta, Friday, November 15, confiscated by Antara.

Online gambling is one of four issues handled by the task force in addition to smuggling, drugs and corruption. The task force started working Wednesday, November 13, and was led by the Inspector General (Irjen) of the TNI Muhammad Saleh Mustafa. Meanwhile, the Sub Task Force for Online Gambling was led by the Commander of the Cyber Unit (Dansatsiber) TNI Brigadier General Ari Yulianto.

The Commander of the TNI Military Police Center (Danpuspom) Maj. Gen. Yusri Nuryanto previously said that as many as 4,000 TNI soldiers had been sanctioned for being involved in online gambling. Of that number, there are soldiers who are currently being convicted for allegedly using unit money for online gambling.

"He forced himself and then someone used unit money," said Danpuspom TNI at the Office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance, East Jakarta, Thursday, November 14.

However, Yusri has not been able to reveal the origin of the soldier's unit along with the number and identity of this person.

Apart from that, Yusri said on Wednesday, November 13, 4,000 soldiers involved in online gambling had been sanctioned, ranging from disciplinary action, light detention, severe detention, and criminal offenses.

Maj. Gen. Alvis, on that occasion, said that the task force deployed TNI cyber units both at TNI Headquarters and in each force to track and map out soldiers involved in online gambling.

"We will take advantage of the resources that exist in us such as the TNI Cyber Unit, there are also cyber units in BAIS, in the army there are also Pussansiad (TNI AD Password and Cyber Center), the Indonesian Navy Cyber Unit, and in the Indonesian Air Force there are also. Of course, we use these institutions as much as possible to at least see how big the numbers really are," said Alvis.