2 Policemen Named Suspect in Tempo Journalist Abuse Case

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The legal representative for a Tempo journalist who was a victim of persecution by police personnel said that two policemen involved in the incident have been named suspects. 

The lawyer, Fatkhul Khoir, recalled that his client Nurhadi endured physical abuse in covering a news report from the policemen who are now identified as Purwanto and Firman Subkhi, both suspected to be the policemen who forcefully took Nurhadi to a hotel nearby the location where he had covered a news report. 

“Those involved have been named suspects since Friday, May 7, 2021,” said Fatkhul on Sunday, May 9.

The lawyer conveyed his appreciation for the East Java police that did not stop investigating and looking deeper into the case, however, he hopes that the police district will not stop at two suspects as he said there were dozens of policemen involved in Nurhadi’s persecution.

“Hopefully other suspects will be revealed from the reconstruction process,” said the lawyer. 

The Tempo journalist was surrounded by dozens of people as he arrived at a wedding reception for the son of a news subject. Nurhadi’s presence in the event was Tempo’s attempt to ask for clarification from the father of the bridegroom who is a former directorate general of taxation official, Angin Prayitno Aji, who is involved in an alleged tax corruption scandal. 

Read: Komnas HAM Urges Police to Investigate Persecution of Tempo Journalist

KUKUH S WIBOWO