Unsubstantiated Allegations Against FolaPlay Could Constitute Defamation

The Indonesian Criminal Code accommodates the concept of social crime. The Chairman of Lingkar Nusantara (Lisan), Farhan Dalimunthe, has reminded the public not to spread allegations that are not supported by evidence regarding the alleged share ownership of PT Folago Global Nusantara Tbk (FolaPlay) by Hashim Djojohadikusumo. According to him, unverifiable narratives have the potential to become defamation and harm the accused party. FolaPlay is an over-the-top (OTT) service platform appointed as one of the partners for Televisyen Republik Indonesia (TVRI) to broadcast the 2026 World Cup.

Farhan believes that the freedom to express criticism in a democracy must be accompanied by responsibility. He emphasised that criticism of public policy must not transform into baseless accusations against individuals that cannot be proven.

“Democracy provides space for anyone to criticise government policy. However, democracy also demands responsibility. Criticism must not turn into allegations that cannot be proven,” Farhan stated in a written statement on Tuesday (30/6).

According to Farhan, the public needs to clearly distinguish between criticism of policy and allegations regarding company ownership or suspected conflicts of interest. He noted that every such allegation must be supported by strong and accountable evidence.

Previously, the Arsari Group, founded by Hashim, issued a clarification regarding the narrative linking Hashim to the ownership of FolaPlay. In its official statement, Arsari Group asserted that Hashim is not a shareholder, controlling shareholder, beneficial owner, director, or advisor of FolaPlay. The company also denied allegations that the partnership aims to benefit Hashim through the use of the state budget.

“We deny this information because it is untrue, baseless, and not supported by verifiable facts,” said Ariseno Ridhwan, VP of Corporate Communications at Arsari Group.

Previously, Hashim’s name was widely linked to alleged conflicts of interest regarding the appointment of FolaPlay as an OTT partner for the 2026 World Cup broadcasting. The narrative emerged in an episode of the Tempo ‘Bocor Alus Politik’ podcast and subsequently circulated via various social media accounts.

Farhan noted that the spread of unverified information in digital spaces often follows a systematic pattern, starting from a single source and being repeated by various accounts until it creates the impression that the information is a fact. He urged the public to maintain the quality of democracy by prioritising communication ethics and habituating the verification of information before sharing it.