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PDI-P lawmaker denies he is man in sex video

Lawmaker Aria Bima of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has strenuously denied he is the man in an Internet video, alleged to show him and fellow lawmaker Karolin Margret Natasa having sex

Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, April 26, 2012

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PDI-P lawmaker denies he is man in sex video

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awmaker Aria Bima of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has strenuously denied he is the man in an Internet video, alleged to show him and fellow lawmaker Karolin Margret Natasa having sex.

He vowed to bring the matter to court unless the individuals responsible for the sex video came forward.

Aria told reporters on Wednesday he was shocked at reports on indonesiarayanews.com, which was the first to publish stories about the video, mentioning his name without corroboration.

“That online news website was the first to publish stories about the video. It also linked my name to
the video, which later widely circulated on the Internet, without confirmation. I just want to clarify that no one from indonesiarayanews.com contacted me for clarification,” Aria said.

Referring to one of the stories published, Aria denied that he had ever met any staff from the news website at a ceremony to commemorate Kartini Day as was reported.

Indonesiarayanews.com said on Saturday, April 21, that Aria had denied featuring in the sex video during a ceremony to commemorate Kartini Day, which was organized by the PDI-P central executive board at Manggala Wanabhakti Building in Central Jakarta. Aria reportedly said “It’s not me” before hurriedly entering his car and leaving the area.

“No one [from indonesiarayanews.com] came to meet me at the ceremony to ask for clarification. Moreover, I didn’t get into any car at that time because I walked with my colleague Ahmad Basarah after accompanying the party’s chief patron Megawati Soekarnoputri to her car. It’s really important for me to clarify these details because misleading stories were reported [by indonesiarayanews.com],” he said.

Separately, fellow PDI-P lawmaker Pramono Anung suspected the release of the sex tape was a blackmail attempt.

“I sense something fishy about the sudden publicizing of such a video because I had heard about it six months ago. I suspect blackmail is behind it. Aria has sworn that it’s not him. Therefore, PDI-P will thoroughly investigate the issue,” said the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.

Karolin’s father Cornelis, currently the governor of West Kalimantan, also denied the woman in the video was his daughter, saying he believed the video was fabricated.

“She wasn’t involved in the video. I believe it is a fabrication,” he said on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 14th Jakarta International Handicraft Trade Fair (Inacraft) at the Jakarta Convention Center on Wednesday.

The sex tape purportedly featuring Aria and Karolin was initially available for download on an obscure website kilikitik.net before indonesiarayanews.com published stories about the video featuring screenshots.

The news website cites Hazairin Pohan, a diplomat and older brother of Democratic Party politician Ramadhan Pohan, as its senior advisor, and George Toisutta, a former Army chief of staff, as its editor in chief.

Yan Harahap, owner of indonesiarayanews.com, admitted that both George Toisutta and Hazairin Pohan were part of the website’s management. George and Hazairin have been the editor-in-chief and senior advisor, respectively, since the end of 2011.

George Toisutta is suspected of being behind the publicizing of the sex tape, as well as related online stories, in order to secure gubernatorial elections in West Kalimantan and Maluku.

Cornelis’ opponent in West Kalimantan, Armyn Alianyang, has close ties with George. (tas)

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