Reporters' arrest no bad precedence

Reporters' arrest no bad precedence

JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman
Astrosemitro said that last week's arrest of two journalists
doing investigative reporting should not deter reporters from
doing similar work.

"The arrests should not be considered a bad precedence for
journalists wanting to do investigative reporting," he told
reporters over the weekend.

Journalists Victoria I.G. Sijabat and Yul Adriansyah of the
Sinar current affairs magazine were arrested on charges of
trespassing.

They were allegedly sneaking into the residence of former
president Sukarno's daughter, Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, to find
evidence that she was dating senior police officer Lt. Col. Benny
Sumarno.

Victoria and Yul said they entered Rachmawati's residence on
the consent of her estranged husband Dicky Suprapto, who tipped
off the magazine that she was there with Benny.

Banurusman said that the police were only doing their job
(when arresting the journalists), on Rachmawati's request. (pan)