Indonesia Names Acting Tech Minister as Incumbent Detained

Indonesia named the minister for legal affairs Mahfud MD as the acting head of the technology ministry after the incumbent was detained as part of a graft probe.

(Bloomberg) — Indonesia named the minister for legal affairs Mahfud MD as the acting head of the technology ministry after the incumbent was detained as part of a graft probe.

Mahfud, currently the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, will be acting as the communication and information technology minister, President Joko Widodo told reporters on Friday.

The appointment comes after authorities detained Johnny Gerard Plate, following investigations into alleged corruption in a 4G wireless base station project led by an agency under his ministry.

It is unclear whether Plate will be dismissed or forced to resign. Widodo, better known as Jokowi, said at Friday’s briefing that there’s a need to respect the legal process.

Countering corruption and streamlining state spending are key to safeguarding the public’s trust in Jokowi’s administration as his second term in office ends in 2024.

A survey released on May 16 by Charta Politika, showed that Jokowi’s rating is at an all-time high of 79.1%.

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