The Agony Of Debt Collection Through Social Media Results In Two Years In Prison

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JAKARTA - Febi Nur Amelia (29), a resident of the Menteng Indah Complex, Medan City, North Sumatra, has to sit in the chair of a prisoner at the Medan District Court. He was sentenced to two years in prison for being deemed to have committed defamation for collecting debts through social media Instagram.

Summarized from Antara, Febi was charged with defaming the wife of the police, Fitriani Manurung (42). According to the public prosecutor, Randi Tambunan considered Febi to have violated Article 45 paragraph (3) in conjunction with Article 27 paragraph (3) of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 19 of 2016 concerning Amendments to Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 11 of 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE).

"The defendant deliberately and without right distributed and / or transmitted and / or made accessible Electronic Information and / or Electronic Documents which contained insults and / or defamation," said Randi in his indictment read out in front of the panel of judges chaired by Sri. Wahyuni.

The prosecutor said that the case began on February 19, 2019 at around 21.00 WIB. At that time, witness Haryati as Fitriani Manurung's younger brother gave information to his brother about the upload on the Instagram account @ feby25052 belonging to the defendant Febi Nur Amelia containing photos and sentences:

"WHEN I REMEMBER WITH MOM KOMBES WHO HAS NOT PAYED 70 MILLION DEBT PLEASE BGT DONK MOM IS PAYED OBJECTS WHICH HAS BEEN PAID FOR YEARS @FITRI_BAKHTIAR. I WAS THE PERSON GK RIBET, KLO LAHLAH, BANGHANG BAYA BANGHANG SO MUST BE ASKED DONK SINK ALSO IF YOU DON'T BE PAID KAN @FITRI_BAKHTIAR. Now this one who has a debt of 70 million This is a photo taken at Jakarta Airport Horror if you remember that this is Dead, you will be asked about accounts payable later ".

The prosecutor explained that Febi's reason for making the upload was so that Fitriani Manurung paid the debt that had not been paid since August 12, 2016. Based on the testimony of the defendant, the witness borrowed Rp. 70 million which was used to promote the position of Fitriani Manurung's husband, who works in the police.

Then in 2017, the defendant Febi Nur Amelia tried to collect the money that Fitriani Manurung had borrowed, but at that time Fitriani Manurung could not pay the debt. However, after being charged many times, Fitriani actually blocked the defendant's Whatsapp account.

In 2019, Febi again tried to send messages on Instagram privately. However, at that time Fitriani admitted that he did not know the defendant and did not feel that he had a debt.

The post has a long tail. Fitriani, who felt that his name had been tarnished, then reported the case to the police with screenshot evidence of the defendant's Instagram account Instagram account.

"As a result of the actions of the defendant Febi Nur Amelia, the good name of witness Fitriani Manurung was tainted because the uploaded photos and sentences were uploaded to the Instagram account Instastory under the username feby25052 through social media which was seen and read by many people," said the prosecutor.

Based on the predetermined schedule, a further trial on the plea-agenda will be held on Tuesday, July 21. Later the defendant and the legal adviser will file a defense before the panel of judges.