W

hat appears to be a personal decision made by outspoken government critic Ratna Sarumpaet to undergo liposuction — and her desperate attempt to cover it up — swiftly turned into a major political scandal after the former actress falsely claimed she had been a victim of assault.

The scandal began with a picture purportedly showing Ratna’s swollen face circulating online, followed by a claim made by members of the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno campaign that the 69-year-old had suffered injuries after being assaulted in Bandung, West Java, last month.

Prabowo and National Mandate Party (PAN) patron Amien Rais met with Ratna on Tuesday, during which she is said to have recounted the assault.

The Prabowo campaign, citing Ratna’s statements, said the attack took place on Sept. 21 near Husein Sastranegara International Airport. She was said to have been beaten by three unknown people and left on the side of a road.

Ratna, according to the Prabowo camp, searched for a ride to a hospital in Cimahi, West Java and called her friend who is a surgeon. “Ratna went back to Jakarta directly [after the medical treatment],” the campaign said, adding that she was traumatized and decided to keep quiet about the incident.

At a press conference held after meeting Ratna, Prabowo denounced the assault against the activist, calling it a violation of her human rights.

“This is a serious threat to democracy,” the former commander of the Army’s special forces said, adding that it was ironic that the incident befalling Ratna came to light on Oct. 2, which was the International Day of Non-Violence.

Only hours after Prabowo’s emotional press conference, the Jakarta Police also held one to say, with damning evidence, that Ratna’s story was nothing but a lie.

On the day Ratna claimed she was assaulted, she was in fact in Jakarta undergoing liposuction at Bina Estetika Hospital.

“[Bina Estetika] is a hospital specializing in surgery, including dental surgery and other cosmetic surgery. It is not possible that she went there for treatment after being assaulted,” Jakarta Police general crimes director Sr. Comr. Nico Afinta told the press on Wednesday morning.

To back up their findings, the report included CCTV footage of the hospital, purportedly showing Ratna checking in and out.

The police said the wallpaper in the viral photo of her bruised face is identical to the one at the hospital.

A few hours later at a press
conference, Ratna admitted to having lied and apologized to Prabowo and Amien, “who had been patient listening to me lying yesterday”.

“There was no assault. That was just a delusion inspired by Satan,” she said.

She claimed that her family members, concerned about her swollen face, kept asking what had happened to her, so she made up a story about being assaulted.

“I never thought that I would be this stupid. I don’t know what evil encouraged me to create [the lie],” Ratna said.

Prabowo’s attack on the incumbent backfired after Ratna’s confession.

The Joko “Jokowi” Widodo-Ma’ruf Amin ticket called on Prabowo to apologize for amplifying Ratna’s lies and insinuating that the current government had engaged in political violence.

“It is better for Prabowo to apologize to the public,” Jokowi’s campaign secretary, Hasto Kristiyanto, said in a statement.

After Ratna’s confession, the Prabowo camp said it was considering dismissing Ratna from the campaign team.

“At this point, there is no other option but to dismiss her,” PAN secretary-general Eddy Suparno said.

On Wednesday night, Prabowo offered an apology for being too hasty to conclude Ratna was telling the truth.