TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Budi Waseso confirmed that the Police would not name Haris Azhar, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, as a suspect of an alleged defamation case.
Budi added that BNN filed a report to the Police to conduct an investigation into his testimony related to drug convict Freddy Budiman, who was recently executed.
"If there is no evidence [in relation to his testimony], Haris will be named as a suspect. No assumption should be allowed. The law must not be interpreted emotionally," Budi Waseso told Tempo at his office in Jakarta on Friday, August 5, 2016.
According to Budi, Haris must be held accountable if the investigation found no evidence to support his testimony, by clarifying that the information he disseminated when Freddy was executed on Friday, July 29, 2016 was a hoax.
Budi emphasized that the report was filed so that police could investigate whether the testimony was accurate.
"The report was just a part of the procedures to summon Haris," Budi said, adding that Haris could refuse the questioning without proper procedures.
Earlier, Haris revealed Freddy’s confession when they met at the Nusakambangan Prison, Central Java, back in 20214. The testimony was posted on Kontras’ official Facebook page on July 28, 2016.
The posting went viral not long after Freddy, along with three other death row inmates, was executed. Haris exposed law enforcers’ involvement in Freddy’s drug business, resulting in a police report filed with the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Corps (Bareskrim) for an alleged defamation. Haris was viewed to have violated the Law on Information and Electronic Transactions.
LINDA TRIANITA