The former member of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto’s campaign team was arrested prior to departing for Chile, where she planned to attend a conference.

The Jakarta Police said Ratna, who earlier claimed she had been assaulted to explain a photo showing her with a swollen face, had been named a suspect for allegedly spreading fake news. 

The police’s violent crimes unit head, Adj. Sr. Comr. Jerry Siagian, said Ratna had initially been named a witness in the case but refused to come in for questioning.  Her status was then upgraded to that of a suspect after police learned of her travel plans. 

“We summoned her as a witness on Monday. She should have informed us if she planned on going somewhere. Not just leave,” said Jerry as quoted by kompas.com.

Read also: ‘I was not assaulted’: Ratna Sarumpaet apologizes for lying

She stands accused of violating Article 28 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.

Earlier this week, a photo of Ratna in which she appeared to have a swollen under eye circulated on social media.

Ratna later claimed to have been assaulted by unknown people at Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung, West Java, prompting a frenzy in the Prabowo camp, which referred to the matter as a human rights violation.

Police claimed that Ratna’s facial condition was the result of liposuction, forcing her to retract her claims.  

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