Police Did Not Tap Former President's Phone: General Karnavian

Semarang, ANTARA JATENG - Chief of the Indonesian Police (Polri) General Tito Karnavian has clarified that Polri did not conduct wiretapping of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

"I am asserting that Polri does not wiretap SBY," Karnavian stated following the launch of a "Smile Police" application, here, Saturday.

Karnavian also said he is ready if the House of Representatives (DPR) wants to summon him over alleged wiretapping.

The general said that in fact, Polri is scheduled to soon hold a working meeting with the DPR.

Meanwhile, during a trial of non-active Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) in an alleged religious blasphemy case, his lawyer noted that they had evidence of the conversations between SBY and Chief of the Indonesian Ulema Council KH Ma'ruf Amin, who stood as a witness during Tuesday's trial.

Ahok and his lawyer claimed that during a phone conversation, SBY had urged Amin to issue the fatwa (ruling) charging Ahok of blasphemy.

Amin denied any such request from SBY, whose son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono is one of the candidates to contest the gubernatorial election.

Ahok, an incumbent in the election, and his lawyer threatened to take Amin, a respected and prominent ulema (Islamic scholar), to court if he lied.

During a televised statement on Wednesday, SBY called on the police to investigate suspected tapping on him, as disclosed by Ahok's lawyer.

He pointed out that the authority would not require him to file a lawsuit to conduct an investigation, as the law has clearly stipulated the rules of tapping.

"I am not sure yet whether I was being tapped. However, if this were to be true, we have a law on electronic information and transaction. Article 31 of the law stipulates that anyone, without any rights, who wiretaps others through electronic devices, would face a maximum jail sentence of 10 years or would have to pay a fine of Rp800 million," SBY added.