TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said that the allegation of illegal tapping incident involving Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (SBY) phone must be settled in court.
“It’s an issue that must be settled in court,” Rudiantara said in Jakarta on Thursday, February 2, 2017.
The minister claimed that he was not aware of the allegation and has not confirmed which state institution conducted the illegal tapping.
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According to Rudiantara, the law governs that phone tapping can only be conducted by authorized institutions. He added that the tapping operation must be in accordance with applicable laws.
Earlier, SBY alleged that his conversation with Indonesian Ulema Council chairman Ma’ruf Amin on October 7, 2016, was illegally tapped. The former President expressed his suspicion as a lawyer of religious blasphemy defendant Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama asked Ma’ruf with questions related to the conversation during the trial. Ma’ruf sat on the witness stand during the trial.
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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on the state to investigate the illegal tapping.
“I just want justice because my privacy, which is guaranteed by the law, has been violated,” Susilo said on Wednesday, February 1, 2017.
SBY said that police and other law enforcers would play an important role in the investigation into the case. He also called on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to step in if the tapping was proven to be conducted by a state institution.
VINDRY FLORENTIN
