TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Mohammad Iqbal rebuffed accusations that the police were discriminative in enforcing the law. He made the remark in response to issues saying the police were biased against a candidate in handling cases related to the 2019 general elections.

This week, the police examined several figures, viz. Lieus Sungkharisma, Permadi, Haikal Hassan, Bachtiar Nasir, and Eggi Sudjana. Bachtiar and Eggi, who throw their weight behind the Prabowo-Sandiaga ticket, have been named as suspects.

Vice-presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno also accused the police of being biased following the naming of 212 Alumni Brotherhood (PA 212) chairman Slamet Maarif as a suspect.

Read: Police: No Potential Riot on Election Result Announcement Day

“The law is not held upright, but rather biased,” said Sandi in Bulungan, South Jakarta, Wednesday, May 13. Slamet Ma’arif was named suspect by the Surakarta Police, Central Java, for allegedly running a campaign outside the designated campaign period.

“[We are] not taking side,” Iqbal said in his office, South Jakarta, Friday, May 17.

“[Suspect naming] requires at least two pieces of evidence, right? Only after then can we determine the status. Now, we overestimate it, not only two but three or four pieces of evidence,” Iqbal underlined.

ANDITA RAHMA