Alleged Hate Speech By Bahar Smith, Police Bag 6 Pieces Of Evidence, Examine 50 Witnesses Including 21 Expert Witnesses

Police convey the progress of the Bahar Smith case at the West Java Regional Police, Bandung City (ANTARA)

JABAR - The investigation team from the West Java Regional Police stated that 50 witnesses had been examined in the hate speech case involving Bahar Smith.

"Investigators have examined the reporting witness and other witnesses, with a total of 34 witnesses and confiscated four pieces of evidence. As for today's developments, the number of witnesses who have been examined has increased to 50," said Director of the Special Criminal Investigation of the West Java Police, Kombes Arief Rachman at the Regional Police. West Java, Antara, Saturday, January 1st.

According to him, the witnesses who have been examined range from witnesses who were at the scene, reporting witnesses, to expert witnesses from various fields. There are 21 expert witnesses who have been examined.

Apart from the increase in witnesses, said Arief, the evidence in the investigation of the case also increased by two to six pieces. The two pieces of evidence are one mobile phone and one flash drive.

He said the evidence that had been confiscated would be immediately sent to the National Police's Digital Forensic Laboratory for immediate examination

"So the conclusion is that investigators have examined 50 witnesses and confiscated six pieces of evidence so far," he said.

The case involving Bahar Smith is related to hate speech that allegedly occurred during a lecture at Margaasih, Bandung Regency, West Java, December 11, 2021.

However, the police have not yet explained the material for hate speech that is the subject of the case. The case was investigated starting with a report at the Polda Metro Jaya.

In this investigation, the police applied Article 28 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 45A paragraph (2) of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 19 of 2016 concerning amendments to the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) and/or Article 14 and Article 15 of the Law. RI number 1 of 1946 concerning criminal law regulations.