Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police arrested politician M. Hatta Taliwang on Thursday morning for allegedly being involved in a treason plot along with other individuals previously arrested.
The former National Mandate Party (PAN) politician was also charged with disseminating hate speech for allegedly exploiting the ethnic, religious, racial and social group (SARA) sentiments.
"We arrested him today at 1:30 a.m. at the Benhil [Bendungan Hilir] low-cost apartments in Central Jakarta," Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono said at Jakarta Police headquarters on Thursday. Argo said Hatta, who had been named a suspect, posted provocative messages on his Facebook account.
Hatta, who was interrogated at police headquarters, was charged under Article 28(2) of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law concerning the dissemination of information to incite hatred based on SARA, which carried a maximum sentence of six years in prison.
Earlier, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mochammad Iriawan said Hatta had attended meetings initiated by the daughter of first president Sukarno, Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, for the alleged agenda of committing treason.
On Friday morning, activist Ratna Sarumpaet; former anti-Soeharto activist Sri Bintang Pamungkas; Rachmawati; the secretary general of Rachmawati's Pioneers' Party, Eko Suryo Santjojo; activist Firza Husain; retired Army generals Kivlan Zen and Adityawarman Thaha; and Alvin Indra were named as treason suspects and detained by the police. (evi)