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.