Police Arrest 2 Local Journalists In Bengkulu Caught Extorting 17 Village Heads

BENGKULU - The Special Criminal Research Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) of the Bengkulu Police has arrested two journalists who were caught extorting 17 local village heads.

The two journalists who were arrested had the initials ER and W. Both were local online journalists in the North Bengkulu Regency area.

"This is a case of extortion of 17 village heads in Kerkap District, North Bengkulu Regency," said the Head of the Special Operations Unit for the Bengkulu Regional Police, AKP Sodri, in Bengkulu City, Wednesday, January 18, as reported by Antara.

He said the two journalists were arrested when they were about to receive money from the village head in Kerkap District, North Bengkulu Regency.

Then, the two unscrupulous journalists were immediately taken to the Bengkulu Regional Police for further examination.

He explained, the modus operandi used by the perpetrators was to ask the village head for some money by threatening to report the person concerned regarding problems with managing village funds.

This is done by exposing reports on village funds (DD) and village fund allocations (ADD) which are claimed to be incorrect to the mass media, if the village heads (kades) do not provide the requested amount of money.

"The modus operandi is if you don't give money, you will report it to the Kominfo Information and Document Management (PID)," said Sodri.

Sodri stated that he could not provide further information, because he was still investigating the two perpetrators.

Previously, the Central Bengkulu Police Criminal Investigation Unit had also conducted an OTT against SA (37) who claimed to be a journalist and extorted the ex-Secretary of Tanjung Raman Village for the 2016-2022 period, namely Japardi (44).

During the OTT, his party managed to confiscate evidence in the form of Rp. 10 million in cash from the hands of suspect SA who is a resident of Air Rami District, Mukomuko Regency.

"Based on the results of the investigation, the suspect extorted the ex-Secretary of Tanjung Raman out of spite and the perpetrator was not a journalist, but only worked as an ordinary private employee," said Head of Bin Ops (KBO) Criminal Investigation Unit of the Central Bengkulu Police Ipda Erwin Sinaga when confirmed.