Roy Suryo and Dr Tifa Deny Rift Over Jokowi Diploma Case, Claim They Are 'Saving Themselves'

Jakarta, VIVA – Roy Suryo and Tifauzia Tyassuma, known as dr Tifa, have denied rumours that their relationship has broken down over the alleged defamation case relating to accusations that Indonesia’s 7th President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) used a fake diploma.

The pair made the statement whilst appearing together on Roy Suryo’s YouTube channel to address rumours circulating amid the legal process they are currently facing.

“We are appearing together to answer the rumours, gossip and slander. So, dr Tifa and I deliberately appeared here to address what people have been whispering — that the two of us have split up and are no longer aligned,” said Roy Suryo, quoted on Wednesday, 15 July 2026.

Dr Tifa currently stands as a defendant in the alleged defamation case against Jokowi relating to the diploma polemic. Meanwhile, Roy Suryo has been named a suspect and is still pursuing a pre-trial motion to challenge the validity of his suspect designation by Polda Metro Jaya under Article 32 of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law.

Dr Tifa stressed that her relationship and the goals of her struggle alongside Roy Suryo remain unchanged, even as both face legal proceedings.

“We remain in step with one another, upholding justice and truth. Like railway tracks, we run side by side. If one track veers right while the other goes straight or they suddenly merge, the train derails,” said dr Tifa.

Roy Suryo also revealed that he has known dr Tifa for a long time through their family ties.

“Dr Tifa and I actually go way back. Her late brother, Banurahim Bani Suryo, was in the same class as me. We even sat one behind the other, since junior high school,” he said.

“I knew exactly what was happening and I followed along when dr Tifa wrote on Twitter and on social media,” he continued.

According to Roy Suryo, the biggest challenge facing his group comes from within.

“We have been betrayed by two of those eight people,” he said.

Previously, the police named eight people as suspects in the case relating to the accusations about Jokowi’s diploma. They were divided into two clusters: Eggi Sudjana, Damai Hari Lubis, Kurnia Tri Rohyani, Muhammad Rizal Fadhillah and Rustam Effendi in the first cluster, and Roy Suryo, dr Tifa and Rismon Hasiholan Sianipar in the second.