It is suspected that the attack was related to his plan to stage a rally in front of the Balige Prosecutors Office on Friday to push the law enforcement authority to settle its investigations into corruption cases in the regency.  

Mangatas Rudi Napitupulu, 41, was reportedly beaten by three people, who came to his house in Lumban Manurung village, Parmaksian district, at around 1:30 a.m. local time on Thursday. With wounds to his head and back, the activist of Forum Pemuda Toba (Toba Youth Forum) reported the incident to the police.

Mangatas said the perpetrators likely aimed to terrorize him into dropping his plan to stage an anticorruption rally in front of the Prosecutors Office.

The activist said that before the incident, two people, including a man who claimed to be the Parmaksian district head, had asked him to drop his plan to stage the rally.

“I don’t know who ordered them to ask me to drop the rally. The fact is, only one day after I rejected the request of the two men, three unidentified attackers tortured me in front of my wife and children at my home,” said Mangatas.

He said the pressure would never change his commitment to fighting against corruption. “Our demand is that all corruption cases that have been reported to the Prosecutors Office continue to be followed up until they are taken to court,” said Mangatas. (ebf)