Taking Away Journalists' Cellphones And Deleting Molucca TV Videos, Maluku Governor's Aide Is Reported To Propam

The Coalition for Press Freedom Defenders reports the aide to the Governor of Maluku, I Ketut Ardana to the Maluku Regional Police Propam/Via ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Coalition for the Defenders of Press Freedom has reported the aide to the Governor of Maluku, I Ketut Ardana, to the Maluku Regional Police Propam regarding the alleged violation of the professional code of ethics.

The Coalition for Press Freedom Defenders consisting of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) of Ambon City, the Association of Indonesian Television Journalists (IJTI) of the Maluku Regional Government, and Molucca TV accompanied Sofyan Muhammadia, a journalist for Molucca TV, to submit a complaint report and evidence to the Propam Division of the Maluku Police today. .

The lawyer for the Coalition to Defend Press Freedom, Alfred Tutupary, said that I Ketut Ardana's repressive actions were an attempt to silence press freedom.

"As a lesson and education to the public, we are taking legal action," Alfred said after reporting, Antara, Friday, July 15.

The evidence attached to the Propam Division of the Maluku Police includes two video clips edited by Ardana and the original video belonging to Sofyan Muhammadia, a journalist for Molucca TV.

In addition, proof of video screenshots that I Ketut Ardana had trimmed while messaging Sofyan via the WhatsApp messaging application, including the complete chronology of the incident.

"Evidence is provided to strengthen allegations of ethical and professional violations," he said.

He believes that what the governor's aide has done has violated the legal norms of Article 4 in conjunction with Article 18 paragraph (1) of the Press Law.

It also violates the internal rules of the National Police, namely the Regulation of the Head of the State Police of the Republic of Indonesia Number 14 of 2011 concerning the Professional Code of Ethics of the State Police of the Republic of Indonesia, in conjunction with the Regulation of the Chief of the State Police of the Republic of Indonesia Number 27 of 2022 concerning the Professional Code of Ethics of the State Police of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Law Number 2 of 2002 concerning the Indonesian National Police.

Head of AJI Ambon City Tajudin Buano asked the Maluku Police to work professionally in processing this complaint report. This case is a lesson for all parties that journalists at work are protected by Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press.

"I hope that the case experienced by Sofyan can continue to court, so that cases of violence against journalists will not happen again in the future," he said.

The head of IJTI Pemda Maluku, Imanuel Alfred Souhaly, emphasized that the coalition is committed to overseeing this case completely and without compromise.

According to Imanuel, the Maluku Regional Police Chief Inspector General Lotharia Latif is a professional figure in dealing with every problem within the Maluku Regional Police. "This is proven if the outstanding police officers are given appreciation and guilty, they will be punished," he said.

Previously, the Press Freedom Coalition filed a complaint with the General Criminal Investigation Directorate, Monday, July 11, 2022, for obstructing journalistic work, seizing Sofyan Muhammadia's cellphone, then editing and deleting journalistic works belonging to the Molucca TV journalist.