Receives Tribrata TV Journalist's House Burning T-shirt Report, KSP: What's The Directions Like, We'll Wait

Representatives of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Amnesty International Indonesia and Kontras after submitting a report on the death of Tribrata TV journalist to KSP Jakarta, Wednesday (17/7/2024). (ANTARA-Yogi Rachman)

JAKARTA - The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) has received a report on the burning of a Tribrata TV journalist's house that killed Rico Sampurna Pasaribu and three family members in Karo Regency, North Sumatra (North Sumatra).

The report was submitted by the Secretary-General of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Bayu Wardhana representing the North Sumatra Journalists Safety Committee (KKJ), the Coordinator of the Indonesian International Amnesty Campaign Zaky Yamani, a representative of Kontras Andi M. Rizaldi and received by the Main Expert of KSP Joanes Joko.

"We received an audience from the KKJ, AJI, Amnesty International and Kontras. They conveyed the results of an investigation into the fire incident which resulted in the death of four family members," said Joanes Joko after the hearing at the KSP Jakarta Building, Wednesday, July 17, which was confiscated by Antara.

Joanes will submit the report to Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko for further direction.

"What is the direction, we will wait for what it will be like," he said.

Meanwhile, Bayu Wardhana explained the purpose of bringing the case to KSP because it needed to oversee the investigation process of the case properly.

"Because we feel there are indications, maybe the case could 'in the wind' if it is not escorted from Jakarta," he said in a written statement to reporters at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday, July 17.

When asked about the term "in the wind" in question, Bayu explained that the deaths of Rico Sampurna Pasaribu and his three family members were suspected of being related to news about gambling practices allegedly protected by TNI officers.

"At the end of June, Rico Sampurna Pasaribu wrote about the gambling practice which he directly called that it was 'backed' by members of the TNI, but until now never called this TNI member, the investigation process was never directed there," he said.

The KKJ consisting of the AJI Medan professional institution, the Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI) of North Sumatra, Indonesian Photo Journalists (PFI) Medan, and the Indonesian Women's Journalists' Forum (FJPI) indicated the involvement of TNI personnel in the incident based on the excavation of evidence through the mechanism of witness interviews at the gambling scene.

"Before the incident, the TNI member has repeatedly asked for the news to be published. The news is still there, friends, you can check on Tribrata TV on June 22," he said.

From the results of a joint investigation conducted by the North Sumatra KKJ, it was found a number of facts that the house fire case that killed Rico Perfect Pasaribu (47), Elfrida Boru Ginting (48) as the wife of Sampurna Pasaribu, Sudi Investasi Pasaribu (12), son of Rico Sampurna Pasaribu, and Loin Situr (3) on Thursday, June 27, occurred after the victim reported gambling on Jalan Captain Bom Ginting, Padang Mas Village, Kabanjahe District, Karo Regency, North Sumatra.