Police Arrest Hoax Video Maker For Church Worship During Emergency PPKM Even Though Vaccination

GARUT - The Garut Police Team, West Java, arrested a man who made a video with a provocative and disinformation narrative related to vaccination activities that were said to be worshiped activities, causing unrest in the community.

"The team has moved, carried out an investigation and succeeded in identifying the alleged person who made it, and last night we managed to secure the person concerned", said Garut Police Chief, AKBP Wirdhanto Hadicaksono, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, July 6.

According to him, Garut Police immediately moved after receiving information about the distribution of videos with provocative narratives and disinformation related to the objects in the video.

The video with the hate speech narration, he said, had spread in several Garut societies. Garut Police took firm action against the video maker to account for his actions.

"The viral video related to the delivery of hate speech through social media which turned out to be after checking the activities carried out in the kindergarten/elementary school that were not worshiped activities but were vaccination activities", he said.

AKBP Wirdhanto confirmed that the Garut Police Criminal Investigation Unit had investigated by collecting evidence and witness statements before it was decided that they could be convicted.

"We have collected instructions or other evidence, starting from witness statements, expert statements to ascertain whether this case can be convicted", he said.

The police chief revealed the results of the investigation while the video maker admitted that he was upset because places of worship were closed, while other places of worship looked crowded.

However, the police chief emphasized that the perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions, and the police are ready to take firm action against anyone who violates the PPKM or spreads hate speech.

"The Garut Police from the Garut Regency COVID-19 Task Force will take decisive action for everyone who tries to commit violations, whether it's Emergency Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM), including those who try to make hate speech related to the Emergency PPKM problem", he said.

Garut Regent, Rudy Gunawan, added that the information circulating that a crowd of people was carrying out religious activities was not true, in fact, the COVID-19 vaccination was being carried out in the Pasundan Church environment.

"I was the first to open it (vaccination activities) and even earlier it was also controlled by the Deputy of the COVID-19 Task Force", he said.