Victim in KPI bullying case forced to drop allegations

Alleged perpetrators in the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) bullying case are reportedly pressuring the victim, MS, to drop his allegations which were filed to Komnas HAM and the police and sign a settlement.

According to CNN, a source close to the victim revealed that the KPI helps facilitate the perpetrators to pressure the victim. "[He] was heavily pressured at the KPI. He was forced to sign a settlement,” said the source.

According to the source, the alleged bullies also forced MS to clear their reputation and send out another press release stating that the bullying never took place. To further pressure MS, the alleged bullies threaten to countersue for defamation under the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law.

Tegar Putuhena, the attorney who represents two of the alleged bullies, said that because the press release that is circulating online contains his clients’ personal identities, their families have become the target of cyberbullying.

Meanwhile, influential journalist Najwa Shihab stated on her social media that she invited KPI Chairman Agung Suprio to her show, Mata Najwa. However, the dialogue didn’t happen because Agung reportedly left the studio after seeing MS’ legal representative in the studio.

“KPI chairman last night came to Mata Najwa Studio, [he was] even ready to enter the stage, but he suddenly refused to talk when the legal representative of MS, the victim in the KPI case, was talking and [he] immediately went out, leaving the studio,” Najwa wrote on the comment section.