Arrested, Hate Speech Suspect Regarding Bitung Clashes Threatened With 6 Years In Prison

Marco Karundeng at the East Kalimantan Regional Police, Thursday, December 7, 2023. (ANTARA/HO-Polda Kaltim)

BALIKPAPAN - Police ensnared the Constitutional Court, a suspect in the case of hate speech and provocateurs of mass clashes in Bitung, North Sulawesi, at the end of November 2023, with the Law on Information and Electronic Transactions which carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison.

"We suspect that Article 45A paragraph 2, also Article 8 paragraph 2 of the ITE Law," said Head of Sub-Directorate V of Cyber Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation of the East Kalimantan Police, Kompol Kadek Budi Astawadi Balikpapan, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, December 8.

"It is also not true that the person concerned fled," continued Kompol Astawa.

The Constitutional Court suspect was arrested in Samarinda because he had lived in the city of Banking since 2004. On November 25, 2024 or four days after the clash in Bitung, the police arrested the Constitutional Court on the ship where he worked as an engine room technician.

"The perpetrator conveyed hate speech through his account on Facebook social media while the ship was sailing in the middle of the sea," said Astawa again.

From the Facebook upload, the police in North Sulawesi tracked down the whereabouts of the Constitutional Court and immediately coordinated with the police in East Kalimantan as soon as the position in question was clear.

As soon as the ship docked at the Port in Samarinda, the Constitutional Court was arrested without any resistance. "The MK was very cooperative when he was arrested, then the Constitutional Court also admitted his mistake," he explained.

The Head of Public Relations of the East Kalimantan Police, Kombes Yusuf Sutejo, said that the Constitutional Court made hate speech because it was emotional to see what happened in Bitung through social media.

From the video uploaded to Facebook, the Constitutional Court saw that a parent was beaten by a mob. The Constitutional Court also expressed its frustration by making threatening speech and responding to the treatment.

After being detained for 12 days, the Constitutional Court regretted it. He apologized.

"I am Marco Karundeng, I apologize to the regional police chief, Muslims in Bitung and throughout Indonesia. I have no intention of posting these comments and I admit I was wrong. Especially especially my family in Manado, some Muslims. I'm really sorry," he regretted his actions.

The Constitutional Court also admitted that it was ready to accept the punishment for his actions and promised that I would not make the same mistake again.