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Jakarta Post

Comedian-turned-lawmaker Eko Patrio gets green light to sue websites spreading hoax about him

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, December 22, 2016

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Comedian-turned-lawmaker Eko Patrio gets green light to sue websites spreading hoax about him Representatives of seven political parties grouped in the Kinship Coalition (from left), Nachrowi Ramli of the Democratic Party, Syakir Purnomo of the Prosperous Justice Party, Bambang DH of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Eko Patrio of the National Mandate Party, Muhammad Taufik of the Gerindra Party, Abdul Azis of the United Development Party and Hasbiallah Ilyas of the National Awakening Party, raise their hands in unison after a press conference in Central Jakarta. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)

T

he Press Council said Wednesday that it had given a green light for comedian-turned-lawmaker Eko Hendro Purnomo, widely known as Eko Patrio, to file a lawsuit against seven websites that had allegedly spread a hoax about him.

The council said the implicated websites did not qualify to be considered mass media and Eko should therefore settle the case in court.

Press council chairman Yosep Adi Prasetyo said the seven websites Eko had complained about had not been registered with the Press Council as regulated in the 1999 Press Law.

“They do not have coordinators and their addresses are not clear. These [the website’s articles] are not journalistic products,” Yosep said on Wednesday, as quoted by Wartakotalive.com.

(Read also: Tito slams accusations of diversion)

Previously, the National Mandate Party lawmaker was quoted by some websites as saying that the recent arrest of terrorists in Bekasi, West Java, was an effort to divert the public’s attention away from the trial of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama on blasphemy charges.

The claim irked the National Police, which quickly summoned Eko for clarification.

Eko had denied making such a statement, saying that none of the websites had ever interviewed him about it.

The seven websites are Satelitnews.com, Ambiguistik.blogspot.com, bk75.blogspot.com, lemahireng.info, vionnalie1.blogspot.co.id, healmagz.com and selatpanjangpos.com. (saf/hwa)

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