Minister Of Industry Agus Calls Ministry Of Industry Employees Involved In IMEI Rules Cases

Minister of Industry (Menperin) Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita. Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI

Minister of Industry (Menperin) Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said he had heard that there were employees who had been named as suspects in the case of violating the rules of the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).

Agus said that the National Police Headquarters would announce the suspect in the IMEI case at 13.00 WIB. The suspects announced were Ministry of Industry employees at the Directorate General of Metal, Machinery, Transportation Equipment, and Electronics (ILMATE).

According to Agus, the demolition of cases of violation of IMEI rules began with his initiative. He admitted that he had been teased by several businessmen to be involved in "reversing" IMEI regulations aimed at preventing the circulation of illegal imported cellphones.

Minister of Industry Agus stated that some of the businessmen were looking for colleagues at the Ministry of Industry and claimed to already have "people" in other institutions to be able to access IMEI tracking machines.

Meanwhile, Agus said, other parties that have access to the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) engine are the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo), and cellular operators.

"I was once teased by 'playing' IMEI. I tested them, do you already have access to the institutions I mentioned earlier. They answered they already had it, this is just living in the Ministry of Industry," Agus said in an online press conference, Friday, July 28.

The CEIR machine itself is a tool used to store data and monitor cellphones throughout Indonesia using IMEI. Agus also asked the police to completely dismantle the practice of violating IMEI regulations at the Ministry of Industry, the Directorate General of Customs, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, and cellular operators.

"I hope that the police in dismantling the chaotic matter or IMEI governance, including games or illegal practices, must be carried out thoroughly, fairly," he added.