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Graft activists face questioning over libel
The National Policeâs Criminal Investigation Directorate (Bareskrim) questioned on Monday an anti-graft activist from the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), Emerson Yuntho, as a witness in an alleged libel case filed by Romli Atmasasmita, a criminal law expert from the University of Padjadjaran (Unpad) in Bandung, West Java
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he National Police's Criminal Investigation Directorate (Bareskrim) questioned on Monday an anti-graft activist from the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), Emerson Yuntho, as a witness in an alleged libel case filed by Romli Atmasasmita, a criminal law expert from the University of Padjadjaran (Unpad) in Bandung, West Java.
'I'm a lawyer and on behalf of our client, Emerson, arrived at Bareskrim to fulfil a police summons for questioning [as a witness in an alleged libel case],' Emerson's lawyer, Febionesta, said as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Monday.
Emerson and his team of lawyers arrived at National Police headquarters at around 10:30 a.m. local time.
Febionesta said that his client did not make any preparations to face his first questioning session Monday. 'There was no preparation because we didn't know where the police questions would direct us to,' he said.
Apart from Emerson, another ICW activist, Adnan Topan Husodo, was also summoned to undergo questioning on Monday.
On May 21, Romli reported Emerson, Adnan (ICW's fundraising division coordinator) and former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) counselor Said Zaenal Abidin to Bareskrim over their alleged defamation against the law professor.
On his police report, Romli as complainant also handed over a number of news reports from three media organizations, namely Kompas, Tempo and The Jakarta Post, which quoted statements from the three anti-graft activists.
They were charged with Articles 310 and 311 of the Criminal Code on libel and Article 27 (3) of the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) on online defamation.
On July 7, ICW reported the case to the Indonesian Press Council and urged it to help resolve the legal problems affecting its two activists. (ebf)
