Police Reject Suspension Of Detention Of The Chair Of The NGO Suspected In The Defamation Case Of The NTB DPRD

Head of Public Relations of the NTB Police, Kombes Artanto. (ANTARA)

Police investigators have rejected the suspension of detention of the head of a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the initials MF who is a suspect in the alleged defamation case of the West Nusa Tenggara Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD). "The investigators have received a letter of application for a suspension of detention and a study is carried out. As a result, investigators have refused with a number of considerations," said Head of Public Relations of the NTB Police, Kombes Artanto, in Mataram, Antara, Monday, January 16. The investigator's consideration in rejecting the suspension of MF's detention, said Artanto, was in accordance with the provisions of Article 31 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code. "The rejection of the suspension is to anticipate the suspect running away, eliminating evidence, and repeating the act," he said. In addition, investigators are trying to get the handling of this case to the court table immediately. "So, detention is still being carried out to make it easier for investigators to resolve this case," he said. The suspect MF has officially been detained at the NTB Police Detention Center starting January 6, 2023, for the investigator's first detention period of 20 days. In completing the file of the suspect MF, Artanto said that investigators had obtained expert testimony, both from the field of crime, language, and related to issues of ITE rules. "Therefore, in the near future investigators will immediately hand over files to the research prosecutor," he said. Investigators named MF as a suspect for allegedly violating Article 14 and/or Article 15 of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1/1946 concerning Criminal Law Regulations and/or Article 28 Paragraph (2) Juncto Article 45 Paragraph (2) of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 19/2016 concerning Amendments to Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 11/2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions. Article 14 and Article 15 of Law Number 1/1946 concerning Criminal Law Regulations regulate the issue of spreading fake news which can cause trouble in the community with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Then for Article 28 Paragraph (2) of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 19/2016 concerning Amendments to Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 11/2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions regulates the issue of broadcasting information that can cause hatred or hostility between individuals and groups. Criminal threats are regulated in Article 45 Paragraph 2 of Law No. 19/2016 concerning Amendments to Law No. 11/2008 on Electronic Information and Transactions with a maximum sentence of 6 years in prison and a fine of IDR 1 billion. The NTB Regional Police are handling this case based on an official report from the chairman of the NTB DPRD. The report relates to MF's question in one of the social media conversation groups suspected of cornering the NTB DPRD. Before the report was received by the police, the NTB DPRD had sent a summons to MF. However, in 2 consecutive days, MF did not respond to this, so based on the pressure of all members of the NTB DPRD, Baiq Isvie Rupaedah as chairman reported MF to the police.