Police Issue Wanted Status for Veronica Koman

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The East Java Regional Police will immediately issue a wanted status for Veronica Koman, the suspect in the alleged hoax incident at the Papua Surabaya college student dorm, which led to riots in Papua and West Papua. The determination of the status will be made next week.

"It is currently leading [to wanted status]. However, in the meantime we are trying to approach the family so VK can return to Indonesia," said Chief of the East Java Regional Police Insp. Gen. Luki Hermawan on Saturday, September 7, 2019.

Luki said to approach Veronica's family, investigators have visited the family's house, each in West Jakarta, and South Jakarta, and deliver a summon letter regarding Veronika's status as a suspect. "However, those efforts are yet to yield result. We hoped, the family can help, so VK will return home and be responsible of what she did," Luki said.

The East Java Regional Police has requested the assistance of the Indonesian Police Headuarter International Relations Division to facilitate and help to confirm with the country where Veronica is hiding. "We have also cooperate and coordinate with the State Intelligence Agency, Interpol, Foreign Affairs Minister, including the Immigration Directorate General," he said.

Previously, the Police said that Veronica has proven to commit provocation in Twitter which was written in English and was spread within and outside the country regarding the evacuation of dozens of Papuan students to the Surabaya Resort Police on August 17, 2019. According the Police, Veronica's tweets was made without facts.

Veronica is charged with violating multiple laws, namely the Information and Electronic Transaction Law, Article 160 of the Indonesian Criminal Code, Law No. 1 of 1946, and Law No. 40 of 2008 concerning Ethnic Cleansing.

ANTARA