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National Police chief denies wiretapping SBY
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National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian (second right) and Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Asman Abnur (right) receive a mascot of the Smile Police mobile app from Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Condro Kirono (second from left) after the app's launching in Semarang on Jan. 4.
(Antara/R.Rekotomo)
National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said the force had never wiretapped former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
He made the statement in response to allegations that police tapped the phone of the former president, popular known by his initials SBY, after the team of lawyers of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama claimed to have a copy of a recorded phone call between SBY and the chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Ma'ruf Amin. Ahok is currently on trial for alleged blasphemy.
“The police never tapped Pak SBY,” Tito said during an event at Central Java police on Saturday.
He also said he was ready to explain as much to lawmakers should they ask him to clarify.
Yudhoyono has claimed to be the victim of illegal state-sponsored wiretapping following Ahok's statement during a trial hearing last week that he had strong evidence of a phone conversation, in which the Democratic Party chairman put pressure on Ma'ruf to issue a fatwa declaring that Ahok had committed blasphemy.
Ahok, who is supported by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), is contesting Yudhoyono's eldest son Agus Harimurti in the ongoing Jakarta gubernatorial race. (wit)
