Journalists questioned over `RCTI'<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
North Aceh Police summoned on Tuesday journalists, who met with
\nRCTI reporter Ersa Siregar and others on Sunday at a separatist
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) base at Peureulak district, North Aceh,
\nin an apparent move to place criminal charges against Ersa.<\/p>\n
The journalists were questioned as witnesses in a case built
\nagainst Ersa, following a report from Lt. Col. Azhari, whose wife
\nSyafrida traveled with Ersa and his team from Lhokseumawe to
\nLangsa, which ended in a hostage drama.<\/p>\n
Ersa, his cameraman Ferry Santoro, Syafrida, her sister Soraya
\nand driver Rachmansyah were still with GAM rebels as of Tuesday
\nevening.<\/p>\n
In his report to the North Aceh Police last week, Azhari
\naccused Ersa of taking away Syafrida without his consent.<\/p>\n
To follow up the case, the police questioned a group of
\njournalists who met with Ersa and the four others in an
\nunidentified location in Peureulak on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"The journalists were summoned as witnesses in the case,\"
\nFirst. Insp. Afriadi Lesmana, the chief of North Aceh Police
\ndetectives, told reporters in Lhokseumawe.<\/p>\n
The four journalists summoned were Gustav Roberto of private
\ntelevision station Indosiar, Anggi Mulya Makmur of TV-7TV station
\nand Orin Basuki of Kompas daily. RCTI deputy chief editor Iman
\nWachjudi was previously questioned by North Aceh Police on Monday
\nnight, on the same day the TV station screened the meeting.<\/p>\n
The meeting was also publicized by the print media.<\/p>\n
The military is apparently angered by the wide coverage of the
\nmeeting in the national media.<\/p>\n
Gustav said that he was questioned by North Aceh Police
\ndetectives from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. while Anggi said that during the
\nquestioning, he was asked to explain in chronological order how
\nhe and other journalists met Ersa and group and their
\ncommunications with rebels in arranging the meeting.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, we were also questioned on why Syafrida and Soraya
\njoined Ersa's group,\" Anggi said.<\/p>\n
The status of Ersa in the eyes of the police remains unclear.<\/p>\n
Afriadi said, however, that the police would summon another
\nwitness Effendy Soen who met Ersa and others somewhere in
\nPeureulak district, shortly before Ersa went missing on June 29.<\/p>\n
He added that he was not sure when the case would be brought
\nto court.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Endriartono
\nSutarto expressed confusion over the meeting's exposure by the
\nnational media, saying he was skeptical of the TV crew's
\nabduction because the meeting was arranged so easily.<\/p>\n
\"We initially believed that Ersa and others were being held
\nhostage by GAM and therefore we were preparing efforts to free
\nthem. But, now, I am skeptical about the abduction because the
\njournalists were able to meet the kidnapped TV crew so easily,\"
\nhe said on the sidelines of a hearing with the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
The military gave GAM the deadline of 6 p.m. on Tuesday to
\nrelease the hostages, otherwise the rebels would be in \"a
\ndifficult situation\". The deadline was made following the
\ndiscovery of the RCTI Kijang minivan in a oil palm plantation in
\nPeureulak over the weekend.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/journalists-questioned-over-rcti-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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