Police Question YouTube Admin of Comedian Pandji in Case over Toraja Ethnic Jokes
The National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) has questioned the administrator of comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono’s YouTube account in connection with allegations of defamation or ethnically charged hate speech directed at the Toraja community.
Head of Sub-directorate I at Bareskrim’s Cyber Crime Directorate, Commissioner Rizki Agung Prakoso, said the witness, identified by the initials SB, was questioned in their capacity as the administrator who uploaded the video content on 8 June 2021.
“This examination is a follow-up to a public report concerning alleged defamation through electronic media,” he said in a written statement on Thursday (19 February).
Rizki said investigators posed a total of 33 questions during the examination, covering the video editing process, the writing of narration and content descriptions, and the scheduling of uploads.
“Based on the witness’s testimony, the editing process, narration writing, descriptions, and upload timing were all carried out by the individual concerned under the instructions and direction of the channel owner,” he explained.
He added that the examination revealed witness SB had been working with Pandji Pragiwaksono since 2010 as a video editor and had focused on administering the comedian’s YouTube channel since 2019.
Rizki affirmed that investigators are continuing to examine the case and gather evidence as well as additional testimony to determine the next legal steps.
“The investigation is still ongoing. We prioritise professionalism and transparency in handling every public report,” he concluded.
Previously, the Toraja Youth Alliance had reported comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono to Bareskrim Polri over allegations of defamation and/or ethnically charged hate speech against the Toraja community.
According to Prilki Prakasa Randan, a representative of the organisation, Pandji’s comedy material circulating on social media contained cultural racism and ethnicity-based discrimination.
Prilki explained that Pandji had made remarks suggesting many Toraja people fall into poverty due to holding expensive funeral ceremonies when family members die, to the point where corpses are simply left unattended.
Pandji Pragiwaksono subsequently issued an apology on 4 November 2025. In the same statement, Pandji noted that Rukka had agreed to serve as a mediator between himself and representatives of the 32 Toraja customary territories.
However, should such a meeting prove difficult to arrange, he said he would respect and undergo the prevailing legal process that is currently pursuing him.