Johnny Plate is among five suspects in a case that allegedly incurred a loss of US$537 million in state funds
Indonesian Minister of Communication and Informatics Johnny Gerard Plate, a Catholic, is accused in a multi-million-dollar graft case. (Photo: Ministry of Communication and Informatics)
Indonesian authorities have detained the only Catholic minister in the current cabinet after he was named a suspect in a multi-million-dollar corruption case involving the construction of communication infrastructure in remote areas, including in Christian-majority provinces.
Johnny Gerard Plate, the minister of communication and informatics was detained by the Attorney General’s Office on May 17.
"There is sufficient evidence that he is suspected of being involved in the criminal act of corruption in the construction of Base Transceiver Station [BTS] 4G project," said Kuntadi, director of investigations at the Attorney General's Office, who only goes by one name.
He said Plate became a suspect in relation to his position as minister and holder of power of attorney for utilizing the budget provision for the project.
He is the fifth suspect in the case involving the project implemented under his ministry in the 2020-2022 fiscal year.
According to the state-run Development and Finance Supervisory Agency, the state lost more than eight trillion rupiah (US$537 million) for the activities of compiling studies supporting the project, price mark-ups for various equipment, and payments for BTS towers that have not yet been built.
The project was supposed to target 7,904 blank points or areas not having an internet network, to achieve equal distribution of internet access, especially in disadvantaged areas, such as in Christian-majority provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and Papua.
However, the project was deemed redundant as many towers were not functioning.
Eky Adsen, a teacher at an Elementary School in Deruk, East Manggarai Regency of East Nusa Tenggara province said that the telephone and internet network has been “completely paralyzed” since the new network was set up in the village.
"We can't access the internet, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube. We can't even make regular telephone calls," he said.
The network “only consumes the state budget [because] it cannot be utilized," he added.
Hendrikus Marsoni, a resident of Wontong Village, West Manggarai Regency, said that since the BTS tower became operational the cell phone network often experienced interruptions or lost connection.
He said the people in his village had to walk about one kilometer to access the network.
Venansius Haryanto, a social activist from Flores told UCA News that "as citizens, we should be as angry with this kind of project."
“Just imagine the eight trillion rupiah lost in this case. The amount could have been allocated for the most basic needs of millions of citizens, such as building roads or health facilities," he said.
Plate, who is also secretary general of the Democratic National Party, had studied at the Ruteng Diocese-run Pius XII Minor Seminary in Catholic-majority Flores Island.
The businessman-turned-politician is known for making donations to the Church.
He was the chairman of the 2020 National Christmas Celebration Committee and is on the advisory board of the Vox Populi Institute, a Catholic lay organization.
In February 2022, during his visit to Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara Province, he personally donated 1.5 billion rupiah to the Kupang Archdiocese and Society of Divine Word-run Widya Mandira Catholic University.
Plate is the fifth minister in President Joko Widodo's cabinet facing a corruption probe.
In August last year, Juliari Peter Batubara, a Protestant and former social affairs minister was sentenced to 12 years in prison for embezzling more than US$2 million in Covid-19 relief program funds. The Jakarta Corruption Court also fined him 500 million rupiah ($34,732) in lieu of six months imprisonment.
Setya Novanto, a former chairman of the House of Representatives, was sentenced to 15 years in prison back in 2018 for conspiring with dozens of other people to steal between $170-$440 million in funding for a new electronic identity card system.
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