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)