TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The police have confirmed that the images contained in alleged WhatsApp chats between the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Syihab and Firza Husein are authentic. Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono said that the authenticity of the images has been corroborated by expert witness testimony.

“The images are not doctored, they are authentic. Who else can you trust aside from expert witnesses? All are authentic. We have cross checked the images against the scene,” Argo said at Jakarta Police headquarters.

Moreover, he said that investigators have secured the evidence of transmissions between Rizieq’s cell phone and that of Firza. “We have checked it to [state-owned telecommunication company] Telkom, it’s under the name of Pak Rizieq. There were transmissions between one cell phone with another,” he said.

Regarding Firza’s rebuttal, Argo said, “go ahead, she can deny the chats; but did she deny the cell phone [transmissions]? She didn’t,” he explained.

The police earlier named Rizieq and Firza as suspects in the pornography case.

Both have been charged under the anti-pornography law over alleged implicit WhatsApp chats. The video of the scandal had gone around social media for some time now.

INGE KLARA SAFITRI