JAKARTA: An Indonesian badminton legend has claimed the Southeast Asian nation's sports ministry is full of corrupt "rats", after admitting his own role in a bribery case.
"No matter who the minister is, it'll be the same," retired Olympic gold medallist Taufik Hidayat said in a YouTube interview this week.
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"Half the building should be destroyed because there are so many rats inside."
The 38-year-old's comments came after he testified in court last week that he delivered one billion rupiah (US67,000) to the personal assistant of former youth and sports minister Imam Nahrawi, who is on trial for corruption.
Former Olympic badminton champion Taufik Hidayat leaving the Indonesian Corruption Eradication office in Jakarta in 2019, after being questioned as a witness on alleged corruption in the sports ministry. (Photo: AFP/Antasena)
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Hidayat, who denied knowing the money was a bribe, claimed that it was common for ministry officials to embezzle funds through sports programmes.
But he acknowledged that he had no concrete evidence to back up the claims.
The youth and sports ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
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