Bogor mayor under fire for alleged slurs

Bogor mayor under fire for alleged slurs

BOGOR (JP): Some 30 journalists staged a protest at Bogor's
mayoralty office and local council building on Thursday demanding
the city's mayor, Col. Agus Utara Effendi, apologize for
allegedly insulting Budi Lesmana, a reporter at the local Radar
Bogor daily.

"We want the mayor to admit to and apologize for his
wrongdoings in a written statement published in the national
media," the reporters said.

The alleged incident took place on Tuesday night after the
mayor had completed his speech at a Ramadhan evening prayer
meeting at Nuril Ihsan Islamic boarding school in Cisarua,
Puncak.

The mayor reportedly got upset over Budi questioning him about
poverty and malnutrition cases in Kampung Sukaluyu, Bogor, and
without warning grabbed Budi's shirt collar and scolded him.

"I'm not afraid of anybody!" he said, and snatched the
reporter's tape recorder.

The protesting journalists, however, failed to meet the mayor
as he was said to be on a field trip.

"The mayor is out of town," said Bogor city spokesman Helmi
Gustian. The group eventually met with Council Speaker Endang
Kosasih who promised to help solve the matter.

"It is our duty to find solutions. We are willing to become a
mediator between the reporters and the mayor in this matter,"
Endang said.

The protesters unfurled posters reading, "A hoodlum must not
become mayor" and "Agus Utara doesn't deserve to be a mayor".
They later dispersed after a session with the councilors.

Radar Bogor's editor Ubay Subarna regretted the incident,
saying the mayor should have used his right to complain if he
felt there had been unbalanced reporting.

Head of the Bogor branch of the Indonesian Journalist
Association (PWI) Herman Abbas supported the protests, demanding
the mayor must apologize for his action.

"What he did was arrogant and improper," he said. (21/24/edt)