Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta The legal team for Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Pramono Anung’s campaign has issued a formal warning  (locally known as somasi) against Minister of Cooperatives, Budi Arie Setiadi, over his alleged involvement in spreading false claims that a member of their campaign team, identified by the initial "T," is part of an online gambling syndicate within the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs.

Campaign legal representative Bhirawa J. Arifi said on Tuesday (12/11/2024) that the warning was prompted by reports from outlets Tempo.co and Inilah.com suggesting that "T" served as the Head of Social Media Content for the campaign. 

He strongly denied this, clarifying that social media tasks fall under the campaign’s Media and Social Media Division and that no official with the initial "T" holds such a role.

The team demands that Minister Budi Arie retract his statements within 72 hours and issue a public apology in at least one national and one local newspaper. If the minister fails to comply, the team will pursue civil and criminal action under the Civil Code and ITE Law to protect their reputation.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)