2 reporters summoned as witnesses in Anas defamation case

The National Police has announced plans summon two reporters from Tempo magazine as witnesses in the alleged defamation of Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum, a police official says.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Anton Bachrul Alam said investigators wanted to find out more from the reporters in relation to the case.

"The investigators have summoned two journalists as witnesses, but we haven't conducted the questioning yet," Anton said Thursday as quoted by metrotvnews.com.

Anton, however, said he had not been informed of the names of the journalists in question.

Earlier, Anas filed a complaint to the police, alleging that he was wrongfully accused by former Democratic Party treasurer M. Nazaruddin.

While evading investigation in an alleged bribery case connected to the upcoming SEA Games, Nazaruddin contacted several local media outlets including MetroTV and Tempo, accusing Anas of siphoning money from the state budget to fund his election campaign for the party chairmanship.

Nazaruddin was arrested in Cartagena, Colombia, on August 7 and is currently being held as a suspect at the Mobile Brigade detention center in Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java.