Hoax Spreads IDR 2 Trillion Of PEN Funds, Head Of The Rinjani Cooperative Becomes A Suspect

Head of Public Relations of the NTB Police, Kombes Artanto. (AMONG)

MATARAM - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Regional Police have named the Head of the Multipurpose Cooperative (KSU) Rinjani with the initials SS as a suspect for spreading hoaxes or false news related to government funds for the community in the National Economic Recovery (PEN) program worth IDR 2 trillion.

The Head of Public Relations of the NTB Police, Commissioner Artanto, said that SS spread hoaxes through the Youtube channel that the government was hiding the distribution of PEN funds to the public.

As a result, the KSU Rinjani distribution program which promised assistance of three cows with a budget of IDR 100 million for each member was not realized.

"So the alleged criminal offense is related to the upload of the SS video in a YouTube content entitled KSU Rinjani Press Conference", said Artanto in Mataram, Antara, Wednesday, February 16.

Members of KSU Rinjani then reacted strongly by protesting to the NTB Provincial Government, demanding that the three cows assistance program from the PEN fund be distributed immediately.

SS's actions, said Artanto, have fulfilled the criminal element according to the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 19/2016 concerning amendments to RI Law Number 11/2008 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions.

Artanto confirmed that at the investigation stage, the cyber team had asked the government for clarification.

"From the clarification of the investigative team, the government stated that there was no such program or budget, either from the center or the regions", he said.

Artanto said that the clarification statement from the government had been strengthened by examining data and current and future programs.

"So it is not true that there is a program and realization of the PEN budget from the government", said Artanto.

In addition to the evidence from the clarification, the determination of SS as a suspect was also strengthened by statements from experts in the field of language as well as information and electronic transactions.

Therefore, investigators see that SS' actions, in this case, violate Article 28 Paragraph 2 and/or Article 27 Paragraph 3 of Law No. 19/2016 concerning amendments to Law No. 11/2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions, Article 14 and/or Article 15 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 1/1946 concerning Criminal Law Regulations.