Bone Council Speaker Reported to Police for Allegedly Assaulting Staff

The Speaker of the Bone Regency Legislative Council (DPRD) in South Sulawesi, Andi Tenri Walinonong, has been reported to the police over allegations that she assaulted a council staff member in a dispute about cakes prepared for guests.

“Yes, the report regarding the alleged assault has been received,” said the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit at Bone Police Resort, AKP Alvin Aji Kurniawan, when confirmed by journalists on Thursday (23 July).

The report was filed by Yuli Nofita Sari (29), who claims she was assaulted by the Bone DPRD Speaker, Andi Tenri Walinonong. The alleged assault involved water being thrown at her and a chilli sauce bottle being hurled at her while she was in the Bone DPRD canteen on Wednesday (22 July).

Yuli is a staff member employed under the government contractual worker scheme (PPPK).

“The Speaker summoned me to the canteen. When I arrived, a bosara of cakes was thrown in my face, then water was thrown at my face, a bottle was thrown at me, and a chilli sauce bottle was also thrown,” Yuli told journalists.

Yuli said that as a result of the incident, she immediately reported the matter to Bone Police Resort as she could not accept the Speaker’s treatment and wanted it resolved through legal channels.

“I have officially reported the Bone DPRD Speaker to Bone Police Resort,” she said.

Yuli, who works in the council’s General Affairs Division, said the incident began when she was asked to prepare cakes for the Speaker’s guests.

“At first she asked for cakes. I had already provided them — there was one guest, because there were supposed to be two, but only one came. I had already laid them out in the lounge,” Yuli told journalists.

Afterwards, Yuli said she received another phone call saying there was one additional guest, so she was asked to check on the availability of cakes.

“I had already prepared cakes for two guests. Then I got a call saying there was one more guest. I went to the lounge to check the cakes,” she explained.

After checking the cakes in the lounge, Yuli returned to her workspace. Not long after, she was summoned to the canteen because the DPRD Speaker was there.

Upon arriving at the canteen, Yuli was immediately berated without being given a chance to explain herself. She said a bottle of water was thrown in her face, followed by a water bottle and then a chilli sauce bottle being hurled at her.

“As soon as I arrived at the canteen, a bottle of water was thrown in my face. After that, a water bottle was thrown at me, then a chilli sauce bottle was thrown as well,” she explained.

Yuli insisted she had never told anyone that guests were forbidden from taking or eating the cakes provided.

“She accused me of stopping people from eating the cakes. But I never said that. She also said, ‘Who paid for those cakes, you?’” Yuli said.

Separately, the Secretary of the Bone Council, Andi Muchlis, said his office was still gathering information to establish the full sequence of events.

“For now I am still finding out exactly what happened,” Muchlis said when contacted.

According to Muchlis, the case will be mediated by the council secretariat once statements have been obtained from the parties involved.

“Perhaps it will go that way (mediation). What is certain is that I am gathering information first so that the sequence of events is accurate and there is no misleading information,” he said.

Meanwhile, citing detikSulsel, the Bone DPRD Speaker has not given any response since Wednesday.

Also citing detikSulsel, the Honorary Board (BK) of the Bone DPRD is still awaiting an official complaint before following up on the matter.

“For now I am only waiting for a complaint, which could come from DPRD members or the public. After that, the Honorary Board will work according to its procedural rules,” said the Chair of the Bone DPRD Honorary Board, Bahtiar Malla, on Thursday.

Bahtiar said that so far the Honorary Board has not been able to take any action regarding the dispute between the Speaker and the secretariat staff member. According to him, everything must be supported by evidence and witnesses.

“I cannot yet categorise it as an ethics violation, as it is still an allegation. The Honorary Board is also still studying the matter; to decide on it, there must be evidence and witnesses,” he said.

In principle, a suspected ethics violation could be followed up without a formal complaint, but the Honorary Board has chosen to wait for an official report so it can request statements from both parties in dispute.

“Even though no complaint has been filed and it has already spread across several media outlets, the general public already knows. The Honorary Board could already summon those involved to clarify the matter. For now, I am only waiting for a complaint,” said Bahtiar.