1x24 Hours No Apologies, Moeldoko's Attorney Will Report ICW Using The ITE Law

Moeldoko/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko demanded an apology from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) for his alleged involvement with PT Harsen Laboratories, the producer of the drug Ivermectin, including accusations that he was seeking profit from rice exports.

Moeldoko's attorney, Otto Hasibuan, said that his party would give the non-governmental organization and its researcher, Egi Primayogha, 1x24 hours to submit evidence or an open apology.

If this is not followed up, they will make a report to the police. This reporting will be carried out on the basis of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE).

"We include this in Articles 27 and 45 of the ITE Law, which are about defamation and slander. Of course, later it can be developed with articles in the Criminal Code 311 or 310," Otto said at an online press conference, Thursday, July 29.

There is also the basis for using the ITE Law because the accusations against Moeldoko were conveyed through websites and discussions broadcast online on YouTube Friends of ICW.

"Of course, this is included in the ITE Law, that's the main thing," he said.

Previously, Otto said that Moeldoko was actually reluctant to resolve this accusation through legal channels. However, a number of accusations made by Egi in the last press conference were not true or slanderous.

Otto explained that his client had never had any connection with PT Harsen, which is the manufacturer of the drug Ivermectin. Moeldoko, he continued, did not own shares or sit on the board of directors.

This rebuttal was also conveyed in relation to allegations that Moeldoko's daughter, Joanina Novinda Rachma, was said to be close to PT Harsen Laboratories. According to Otto, Joanina does sit as a shareholder in PT Noorpay Perkasa but the company has nothing to do with pharmaceutical products or the rice export business.

Not only that, lawyer Otto Hasibuan also denied that Moeldoko was seeking profit from the rice business while serving as the Indonesian Farmers Harmony Association (HKTI).

"Thus, we can conclude that Mr. Moeldoko has nothing to do with the Ivermectin business, the circulation of ivermectin, and has nothing to do with rice imports as mentioned by ICW and Egi in their press release and discussions held," explained Otto.

"Therefore, through this statement, ICW has accused and formed an opinion as if our client as a staff member to the president had carried out a rice export business and profited from the circulation of invermectin when in fact that was not true," he concluded.