Police vs. 'Tempo', the SMS fiasco continues

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 10/01/2007 3:43 PM

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Police and Tempo magazine have traded accusations over text messages about a tax evasion case sent between a reporter and his news source.

The text messages included communication between Metta Dharmasaputra, a senior reporter with the magazine, and Vincent AMin Santoso, a former financial controller of crude palm oil producer Asian Agri Group (AAG).

AAG is a unit of Raja Garuda Mas, a business group controlled by tycoon Sukanto Tanoto.

Tempo magazine accused the police of intimidating the press by wrongly intercepting Metta's work-related text messages.

And the police accused Tempo of complicating the case after police said the reporter was not a target.

The magazine's chief editor Toriq Hadad said he wanted to know why the police had made public Metta's text communications with Vincent.

He said the police force was trying to discredit the magazine and intimidate Metta.

""We could understand if the police intercepted Metta's conversation with Vincent when Metta was still at large,"" Toriq said. ""For instance, after Metta visited Vincent as a fugitive in Singapore.""

""But we have two main questions the police have yet to respond to.

""First, why the text messages were spread while Metta was summoned as witness in the case.

""And second, why did the police intercept Metta's conversations conducted when Vincent was already in police custody?"" Toriq said.

The case has sparked protests from national media accusing the police of breaching press freedom while Metta was investigating an alleged tax evasion worth some RP 1.1 trillion (US$120 million).

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Sisno Adiwinoto accused Toriq of having complicated the case.

""The case was really simple but now it has been made complicated,"" Sisno said.

He said the police had not intended to intercept Metta's cellular phone, but his conversations with Vincent were found ""by accident"" while Vincent was in custody between March and July.

""The police asked for a record of Vincent's cellular phone conversations from state-owned telco PT Telkom,"" Sisno said.

""We needed to find out who had helped issue a false passport for the suspect to escape to Singapore.""

He said he wanted to emphasize however the country's communications laws allowed law enforcers to action this kind of investigation where warranted.

Sisno said he regretted the national media having discredited the police with accusations of arbitrarily carrying out the wiretapping.

He said it had turned the police into the common enemy.

Toriq also denied spreading copies of Metta's conversations with Vincent and said Metta should file an official report to the police.

""It is easy to trace who spread the messages,"" he said.

The Press Council has slammed the police for eavesdropping as Metta was working as professional journalist.

The council said the action, conducted without the court's approval, was a form of intimidation and a threat to press freedom.

Press figure Ashadi Siregar said Metta should file an official report to the police to say he was operating as a professional when his conversation with Vincent was intercepted.

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