After Reconciliation, Rismon Admits Research Errors in Jokowi’s White Paper! Ready to Rewrite 700 Pages

After opting for a peaceful resolution through restorative justice (RJ), digital forensics expert Rismon Hasiholan Sianipar has finally spoken out regarding the controversy that has implicated him in the case concerning the diploma of Indonesia’s 7th President, Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Rismon firmly denied rumours claiming he received a staggering Rp50 billion for the research on the book Jokowi’s White Paper (JWP). He emphasised that all his research activities were conducted using his own funds. “Regarding the accusation that Rismon received Rp50 billion. Show it if you can—Rismon went everywhere with Rp0, it was indeed my own money. And those who are now accusing me of betraying or defecting,” he stated, as quoted on Friday, 3 April 2026. According to him, such allegations lack foundation and are merely exploited to garner attention amid the heated debate over Jokowi’s diploma. “Have they ever gone to Solo, to Yogyakarta, to UGM? They don’t have that—they’re people who show up in the middle of the road. Showing up in the middle of the road to hunt for content, and the content is always about that. Whereas they never had the capital to gather data, let alone analyse it,” he said. Furthermore, Rismon revealed that the compilation of the JWP book was done independently by each author, including Roy Suryo and Tifauzia Tyassuma, without any coordination among them. “I am not obliged, nor do I have to, inform Mr Roy Suryo or Ms Tifa. Because each one in the JWP book—once again, I emphasise, each is independent work with no coordination whatsoever, not even the slightest,” he said. Behind the controversy, Rismon also admitted sensing other interests at play. He believes the developing issues could drag him in an undesirable direction. “I have reasons to state that there is—I smell a strong aroma that this is for political interests. That’s why I don’t want to be a victim; I don’t want to be exploited,” he said. In his statement, Rismon also acknowledged shortcomings in the research methods he previously used, particularly regarding technical variables such as resolution, geometry, and lighting angles. Differences in these variables led to changes in the conclusions reached.