Press Council Regrets Persecution Of Tempo Journalist Who Was Convicted Of Guilty Not Arrested

SURABAYA - The Press Council regrets that the two accused police officers who persecuted the journalist Tempo Nurhadi, namely Bripka Purwanto and Police Brigadier Muhammad Firman Subkhi were not detained after being convicted at the Surabaya District Court, East Java.

The chairman of the Law and Legislation Commission of the Press Council, M Agung Dharmajaya, said he really appreciates the judge's decision.

"In my opinion, it is interesting that the case is clearly stated that there is a loss. The panel's considerations are respected. However, the decision of 10 months of not being detained is a serious matter for discussion from fellow lawyers," he said after attending the trial of the persecution case against journalist Tempo Nurhadi at the Surabaya District Court, quoted by Antara. , Wednesday, January 12

According to him, the court's decision is also lower than the prosecutor's demand, which is to demand each of the defendants for 1.5 years in prison.

However, Agung questioned the reason why the judge did not order the detention of the defendant Firman dam Purwanto, even though they had already been convicted and sentenced to 10 months in prison.

"What we didn't hear was the detention. Hopefully there should be an explanation regarding the decisions that have been taken," he said.

Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor (JPU) Winarko said the judge had not yet issued a detention order. The two defendants will only be sent to prison if the case is resolved.

"Later the detention is waiting for inkrah. There is one week for the defendant or the prosecutor to appeal, if there are none, they will be executed for detention," said Winarko.

Previously, two defendants who persecuted a Tempo journalist in Surabaya, Nurhadi, namely two active police officers Bripka Purwanto and Brigadier Muhammad Firman Subkhi were sentenced to ten months in prison.

The Panel of Judges, Muhammad Basir, assessed that the two defendants were found guilty of violating the press crime as stipulated in Article 18 paragraph (1) of Law no. 40 of 1999 concerning the Press in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.

"The trial stated that the defendants Firman and Purwanto were proven legally and convincingly to commit a press crime together as in the first indictment," said the panel of judges.

This case began when Nurhadi was allegedly abused by about 10 people while trying to interview the former Director of Inspection of the Directorate General of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance, Angin Prayitno Aji on March 27, 2021.

At that time, Angin was holding his son's wedding reception at the Navy's Graha Samudra Building, Bumimoro, Surabaya. He is suspected of being involved in a tax corruption scandal.

When caught, a number of police and event committee members beat, strangled, kicked, and damaged Nurhadi's work equipment. Nurhadi explained that he was first visited while photographing Wind Prayitno Aji on the aisle.