Police to Investigate IndonesiaLeaks; LBH Finds It Regrettable

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Director of the Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers), Nawawi Bahrudin regrets police`s intention to investigate IndonesiaLeaks following its report of an alleged violation done by two police investigators. 

The alleged violation involves evidence tampering incriminating two police members while they were tasked to work under the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Nawawi said that the National Police have shown an authoritative approach if they do investigate IndonesiaLeaks. 

“We regret that there are attempts [by police] that mimics an authoritative approach,” said Nawawi to Tempo today, Oct. 16. Nawawi asserted that if there are oddities in the reporting, police can take it to the Press Council.

He further argues that police and KPK should have reacted to IndonesiaLeaks’ investigative report with contemplation and should have been willing to investigate the two alleged police members in question. 

IndonesiaLeaks is an investigative platform consisting of members from numerous Indonesian news agencies and the Independent Journalist’s Alliance (AJI) that recently uncovered a bribery scandal of businessman Basuki Hariman to Constitutional Judge Patrialis Akbar on January 2017.
The evidence, a red passbook, was partially ruined by the two police investigators while they worked as KPK investigators. 

“There is no [violation] within the police institution. I can guarantee that it’s solid,” said National Police Spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto on Monday, October 15, “Our investigation is outside [of the police institution],” he said. 

FIKRI ARIGI