North Sumatra Police spokesperson Comr. Siti Rohani Tampubolon stated that while the summons is imminent, they cannot yet provide an exact timeline for her questioning.

"We still need to complete several administrative procedures," she said on Monday, as reported by Tribunnews.com.

The North Sumatra Police launched an investigation into the alleged assault last week after the Nias Police handed the case over to them.

Nias Police Chief Sr. Comr. Adj. Revi Nurvelani explained that the transfer was made because the victim, the alleged perpetrator and most key witnesses reside in Medan, where the North Sumatra Police are based.

“This move will streamline the process and expedite the investigation,” he said in a recent interview.

Prior to the handover, the Nias Police had already interviewed five witnesses, including the victim, the Wings Air pilot and several airport officials.

A video of the altercation between councilor Megawati and a Wings Air flight attendant recently went viral on social media. In the footage, Megawati is seen pushing the flight attendant in the neck as they argue in the aisle of the plane.

Wings Air spokesperson Danang Mandala Prihantoro said the incident occurred on April 13 aboard Flight IW1267, which was preparing to depart from Binaka Nias Airport in North Sumatra.

Danang explained that councilor Megawati attempted to bring a suitcase, labeled as "checked baggage", into the cabin.

"In accordance with our standard operating procedures, one of our flight attendants, Lidya Cristine, instructed the passenger to place the suitcase at the rear of the plane so it could be handled by ground staff and be stored in the cargo hold," he said on April 16.

"However, the passenger was uncooperative. She refused to follow the flight attendant's instructions, attempted to remove the baggage label from her suitcase and physically assaulted the attendant," he added.

Danang also stated that the airline plans to take legal action as part of its commitment to protecting its flight crews and ensuring a safe, professional environment for employees.

“The safety and comfort of our passengers and crew is our top priority, and we urge all passengers to follow our rules and regulations,” he said.

On April 17, both Lidya and Wings Air reported the incident to the Nias Police.

Megawati has denied that the altercation stemmed from her insistence on bringing her checked luggage into the cabin. She claimed that the problematic suitcase actually belonged to another passenger.

“I was just trying to assist an elderly passenger who claimed he would miss his connecting flight to Padang, West Sumatra, if he had to wait for his checked baggage to be processed. However, the flight attendant insisted that it could not be brought into the cabin,” the Golkar Party politician explained.

Megawati also stated that she pushed Lidya in an effort to clear the aisle and allow other passengers to board the plane without delay.

Megawati said she was eventually removed from the plane by airport security and had to catch another flight the following day.

The Golkar Party’s North Sumatra branch announced they would summon Megawati in the near future to provide "clarification" regarding the viral incident. (nal)