Three TTU DPRD Members Deny Intimidating Doctor Icha

Three members of the Timor Tengah Utara (TTU) Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) and one civil servant (ASN) accused of intimidating Doctor Eliza Princila Pakaenoni, known as Doctor Icha, underwent questioning at the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Regional Police on Tuesday (14/7). The four suspects reported by the family of the late Dr Icha are TTU DPRD members Therensius Lazakar (Golkar), Norbertus Tubani (PKB), Veronika Lake (PDIP), and a veterinary civil servant from the TTU Livestock Service named Maria Mathildis Sau.

Following the examination, through their legal counsel Amos Lau, the four reported witnesses denied intimidating Doctor Icha. “In principle, we assert that based on the facts experienced by our clients, we once again emphasise that no intimidation was carried out (by the four suspects against Doctor Icha),” said Amos Lau after the examination at the NTT Regional Police headquarters in Kupang on Tuesday evening. He explained that, based on the statements from the four suspects before investigators, the incident on 13 June 2026 at Leona Hospital involved a discussion and a rather heated conversation between the four suspects and Doctor Icha.

According to Amos, the heated conversation was the right of the patient’s family to inquire and obtain information about the quality of service a patient should receive. “Based on our clients’ statements, what occurred on 13 June was a discussion, a heated conversation between our clients in the context of being patients who have the right to ask, to question, to obtain information about the best quality of care they should receive for their illness,” he explained. Amos claimed that the questions and heated dialogue from the four suspects with Doctor Icha are also regulated under health law. “So there was no intimidation carried out because everything was still within the corridor of a patient’s right to obtain information,” he said. He expressed hope that what was conveyed by the four suspects, who were examined from 11:30 am on Tuesday, could be properly understood by investigators.

Amos explained that the two female suspects, Veronika Lake and Maria Mathildis Sau, were examined at the Directorate of Women and Children Protection and Human Trafficking Eradication for four hours, from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm local time. Meanwhile, the other two, Therensius Lazakar and Norbertus Tubani, were examined by investigators from the Directorate of General Criminal Investigation from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm local time. After the examination, Veronika Lake and Maria Mathildis left the examination room without commenting to journalists. Therensius Lazakar and Norbertus Tubani also did not respond to reporters’ questions, though Norbertus Tubani briefly stated that he had answered 29 questions.

Doctor Icha was found dead by suicide at her home in Baumata Barat on Friday (26/6). She was suspected to have suffered severe depression and psychological distress after allegedly being intimidated by the three TTU DPRD members on 13 June 2026 while treating a snakebite patient at the Leona Kefamenanu Hospital’s Emergency Unit. The snakebite victim, whose life was saved, was reportedly related to one of the DPRD members, Therensius Lazakar. Doctor Icha’s funeral on Monday (29/6) was attended by thousands of mourners. The family subsequently reported the alleged intimidation case to the NTT Police on 3 July 2026.