Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Former Minister of Communications and current Minister of Cooperatives, Budi Arie Setiadi, has denied allegations that he received 50% of the proceeds from a scheme protecting illegal online gambling websites, allegedly involving officials from the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs.

"That is a malicious narrative that attacks my integrity. It is completely untrue," he said in a written statement on Monday (19/5/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.

The Minister insisted the claim was fabricated by the accused to justify their actions, asserting he was neither informed of nor received any illicit funds. He also cited his record in cracking down on online gambling during his tenure.

Minister Budi Arie's name surfaced in court during the trial of four individuals, including a former aide and a private sector director, who allegedly split protection money from gambling sites, with 50% purportedly allocated to Budi.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)