Police arrested a 23-year-old man identified as HP, one of the administrators of an Instagram account that often uploads posts containing fake news and hate speech, on Sunday.
The suspect was arrested for spreading a fake phone chat between National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Jakarta Police Spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono.
In the fake chat, Tito ordered Argo to intimidateFirza Husein and Emma, both related to a sex-chat scandal involving Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab, to confess the circulated chat which has Firzas naked pictures and steamy conversation between her and Rizieq was true.
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Weve done it so many times. Just do your job. Ive prepared Metro TV and Kompas TV to frame the issue. Fake news will be real news if its repeated over and over again. Whats important is we can hurt Rizieqs credibility, read the chat.
"The suspect is one of the administrators of muslim_cyber1. This account routinely posts photos and captions that could trigger religious and racial sentiments," said the National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto.
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Photo: tribratanews.polri.go.id
Confirmed later by detik.com, the National Police Cybercrime Director Sr. Commr. Fadil Imran revealed HP's motivation for publishing the fake conversation, "His motive is to defend HRS (Habib Rizieq Shihab)," he said.
However, HP has never been involved or joined the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), the Islamic hard-liner group where Rizieq leads.
"He's a private employee," Fadil added.
HP was arrested in his own house in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta. The police also secured a number of evidences, namely, a smartphone, two SIM cards and screenshots of a fake chat between Tito and Argo as well as hate-filled chats on his instagram account.
The suspect could be charged with Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law with a maximum sentence of six years in prison and Rp 1 billion in fine, or Law No. 40/2008 on the ethnic and racial discrimination elimination, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and Rp 500 million in fines.