Bambang Tri Mulyono, who has been accused of slandering Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo in his book ‘Jokowi Undercover,’ is now in the hands of police authorities.
Brig. Gen. Rickwanto, spokesman for the National Police, told reporters that Mulyono is currently being detained at the Jakarta Police station after being arrested over the New Year weekend.
The National Police spokesperson explained that everything in Mulyono’s ‘Jokowi Undercover’ is based merely on his personal opinion and not on valid information and lacks supporting resources.
Mulyono has written in his book that President Jokowi had falsified personal information before he registered and confirmed his candidacy for the 2014 presidential election. The book also talked about Giriroto, Boyolali regency, Central Java, the foundation of the Indonesian Communist Party that was disbanded in 1966.
See: Police Arrests Group for Suspected Treason Against Jokowi
Mulyono’s mention of Giriroto on the publication sparks controversy as it is reportedly where Sujiatmi Notomiatdjo, Jokowi’s mother, was born.
‘Jokowi Undercover’ also made a scandalous claim about Jokowi and Jusuf Kalla winning the presidency and vice-presidency allegedly with the press successfully manipulating the public.
Gen. Rickwanto added that Mulyono’s motive behind spreading hate against the Indonesian president is to make his work get more publicity and more interesting.
The ‘Jokowi Undercover’ author is facing charges for violating Article 16 of Law No. 40/2008 that stipulates regulations on the elimination of racial and ethnic discrimination and paragraph 2, Article 28 of Law No. 11/2008 that stipulates policies on electronic information and transactions for spreading hatred against President Jokowi.
Image credit: Tempo
