Police Investigate WhatsApp Provokers Invite Paslon Supporters To Prepare Weapons In The Sampang Pilkada

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Sampang Police, AKP Sigit Nursiyo Dwiyugo (ANTARA/HO-Polres Sampang)

The Sampang Police, East Java are investigating a case of alleged provocation by supporters of the candidate pair for regent and deputy regent for the 2024 Pilkada.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Sampang Police, AKP Sigit Nursiyo Dwiyugo, said the investigation into the alleged provocation case was based on public reports submitted to the police.

"We have investigated this case by collecting evidence and summoning a number of parties," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, November 7.

He explained that the evidence that had been pocketed by the Sampang Police investigator team was a recording of the alleged perpetrator's voice circulating on social media applications.

In the voice recording, the suspect stated that most of the organizers of the 2024 simultaneous regional elections in Sampang Regency were supporters of the candidate pair for the Regent of Slamet Junaidi and his Deputy Ahmad Mahfud (Saktah Jimmy).

"The recording states that as many as 333 of the 558 members of the voting committee (pps) in Sampang Regency are people or supporters of the Saktah Palace," he said.

This statement, he continued, was considered detrimental to the General Election Commission (KPU) of Sampang Regency, because the election organizers should be neutral and impartial to one of the election participants.

In addition, in the recording, the alleged perpetrator also invited all supporters of candidate pair number 2 to prepare weapons.

"This presentation was assessed by some Sampang residents, because it was disturbing, so they reported it to the Sampang Police Headquarters," he said.

Sigit said that in addition to pocketing evidence in the form of voice recordings, the Sampang Police investigator team had also asked for information from a number of parties suspected of being involved in the case.

The police have also summoned the alleged perpetrator twice, but were not present.

"The alleged perpetrator of this provocation is a former village head in Omben District, Sampang with the initials H," said Sigit.

Another thing that was also conveyed by the alleged perpetrator in the voice recording was that he was a person who was above the law, because he had many friends who served in law enforcement institutions.