Indar Atmanto (Antara/Wahyu Putro)

Analysts have slammed a Supreme Court decision that rejected the case review of a former president director at an internet service provider, saying that such a review would be counterproductive for the business climate in Indonesia.

Nawawi Bahrudin, the executive director of Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Press) expressed his regrets that the Supreme Court turned down the case review of Indar Atmanto, former president director of IM2.

"It could have a big impact on the telecommunication industry, public service and state economy, which could lead to employees of more than 300 internet providers facing jail time," he told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday.

Indar was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2013 for causing Rp 1.4 trillion in state losses after IM2 failed to secure 3G frequency licenses and pay an up-front fee.

He filed a case review with the Supreme Court in March, but the court turned it down on Wednesday.

Nawawi said that there was a misunderstanding about frequency usage between businesspeople and law enforcement agencies.

He said that the business patterns used between IM2 and Indosat were used by 300 other internet provider firms that worried that they too would be charged.

"If it happened, Indonesia could suffer an internet shut down. I'm sure the government would not want that," he said.

LBH Press urged President Joko Widodo to issue a decree to prevent the criminalization of the telecommunication industry, and called on Indar to file a second case review for legal certainty.

Separately, legal expert from the University of Indonesia Dian Puji Nugraha '€ŽSimatupang'€Ž said that the Supreme Court's decision was in contrast to the government's efforts in pushing for investment to support the economy.

He criticized the court for failing to take into account statements from the Communication and Information Ministry that denied there were state losses in the case as Indosat had paid the up-front fee to the State and that IM2 had only rented the frequency from Indosat.

"Indar must file the second case review based on the statements from the ministry as his new evidence," he said. (rin)

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