Makassar police condemned over expulsion of newmen
Makassar police condemned over expulsion of newmen
Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar
An alliance of journalists' associations have protested a move by
local police to prevent journalists from obtaining information at
the South Sulawesi Provincial Police headquarters, saying that it
went against press freedom.
The protest was made following the expulsion of a number of
local journalists from police headquarters where they went to
seek confirmation of rumors that Gowa Regent Syachrul Yasin Limpo
was arrested for consuming the banned drug shabu-shabu (crystal
methamphetamine) in the company of two prostitutes at the Sedona
Hotel in the city early on Friday.
"The police action in expelling the journalists from police
headquarters goes against the law on the press and press
freedom," Suparno, legal aid division coordinator of the local
chapter of the Independent Journalists' Alliance (AJI), said at a
joint press conference here on Friday.
Also attending the press conference were local executives of
the Indonesian Television Journalists' Association (IJTI),
Reformed Indonesian Journalists' Organization (PWI-Reformasi) and
the Joint Forum (Forbes) organization.
Suparno called on the provincial police to investigate the
case and to bring to court those who were involved in the
expulsion of the journalists.
Iwan Taruna, one of reporters who was expelled from police
headquarters, said that besides being expelled, they were also
treated roughly by Antonius Hutabarat, a senior officer, in the
headquarters' detective unit.
Other journalists who were expelled were Muchramal Azis and
Jusuf Achmad, both of the Fajar daily, and M. Kiblat of the Suara
Pembaruan daily.
Iwan said they were pretty sure that Limpo had been arrested
and was being questioned by detectives.
"We have also, however, received information from an
investigator that the regent was summoned but not interrogated,"
he claimed.
Iwan also claimed that several people who were close to the
regent and a number of members of the Gowa regional assembly had
contacted him by cellular phone asking him and other reporters
not to expose the case.
"I am sorry about all this. He (Syachrul) is our friend," he
quoted one of the legislators who contacted him as saying.
Provincial police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani confirmed that
three people had been arrested and that Syachrul was in the hotel
when the police raided the shabu-shabu "party".
"But, Syachrul was not arrested as he was in another room," he
said.
Firman declined to identify the three detainees. "I've yet to
receive details on the three," he said.
He also apologized for the expulsion of the journalists.
"On behalf of myself and the police as an institution, I would
like to apology for any inconvenience caused by my men's
actions," he said.
The journalists' associations said they would file suit
against the provincial police over the case.