Muhammad Radityo Priyasmoro, Jakarta – The Coordinating Spokesperson for the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno election campaign team (BPN), Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, has revealed that Prabowo did in fact go to Brunei Darussalam on May 16 explaining that the visit was simply to hold a friendly meeting with the Sultan of Brunei.

"I answered that it was untrue, it was a hoax, it was an old photo taken on Wednesday May 16, 2019. Just a one day return trip, he didn't stay the night, to hold a friendly meeting with the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam", said Simanjuntak when sought for confirmation on Sunday May 19.

Simanjuntak claimed to be surprised as to why Prabowo's visit to Brunei created such a public uproar. Moreover cheap news circulated that the former commander of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) had tried to flee the country.

"Pak [Mr] Prabowo's visit to Brunei even developed into slander that he had fled overseas", he said shocked.

When journalists sought confirmation about the visit from Simanjuntak on May 17, he said that Prabowo was not overseas. Simanjuntak is now insisting that there was no misleading information from the Prabowo-Sandiaga BPN. Because, the question asked was whether (on May 17) Prabowo was out of the country or not.

Earlier, Ministry of Human rights and Justice Immigration Directorate General subdivision head Sam Fernando said that Prabowo departed for Brunei on May 16 in his private jet and return later in the evening on the same day.

"Yes it's true he used his private jet 9H-NYC Embraer 190-Lineage 1000. Based on the manifest there were 12 other names listed along with him. He arrived (back in Indonesia) on the same day and date at 8.12 pm local time", said Fernando when sought for confirmation.

Earlier denial

Earlier BPN coordinating spokesperson Dahnil Anzar denied that Prabowo had gone to Brunei. Anzar was responding to a photo of Prabowo at an airport which was suspected to be in Brunei went viral.

Anzar said that the photo was an old picture adding that throughout Friday May 17 Prabowo was at his private residence in Hambalang, Kertanegara, Jakarta.

"Earlier this afternoon Pak Prabowo conducted Friday prayers at Hambalang, and continued his activities at Kertanegara 4 until evening. So the photos circulating are actually of him LN (overseas), but an old photo, so it was slander spread by hoax spreading websites like Seword", wrote Anzar on his Twitter account Friday.

In the photo Prabowo appears with Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Deputy Chairperson Sugiono and Islamic cleric Sambo. Prabowo appears wearing a black jacket and black sunglasses.

Meanwhile Prabowo-Sandiaga BPN spokesperson Andre Rosiade also said that Prabowo was at Kertanegara until the night of Friday May 17.

"Yes, that night he slept at Hambalang. He arrived at Kertanegara in the afternoon or early evening, that night he came back", said Rosiade when contacted by Liputan 6.

Rosiade insisted that Prabowo was still in Indonesia, not overseas. "I don't know about [Prabowo supporter] Kivlan Zen, but it's clear that Pak Prabowo is still in Indonesia", he said.

Notes

In a separate article on the same day, Liputan 6 reported that in addition to four crew members, the following people were listed as passengers on the flight manifest:

• Prabowo Subianto
• Muhammad Harrifar Syafar
• Mohamad Rizki Irmansyah
• Alvano Armi Sundah Kalalo
• Sugiono
• Wedi Kamaludin
• Julius Indra Kurniawan
• Julando Richard Mandey
• Simon Aloysius Mantiri
• Frangel Hendra Pantouw
• Ansfuri ID Sambo
• Amien Rais

PT Pertamina Director Wedi Kamaludin has since been suspended by the Ministry for State-Owned Enterprises over the trip.

A direct flight from Jakarta to Bandar Seri Begawan by a commercial airline takes approximately 2-and-a-half hours, meaning that Prabowo and the 11 other people with him were able to clear customs and immigration, meet with the Sultan of Brunei, return to the airport then clear customs and immigration again in only three hours.

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "BPN Ungkap Tujuan Prabowo Pergi ke Brunei Darussalam".]

Source: https://www.liputan6.com/news/read/3970158/bpn-ungkap-tujuan-prabowo-pergi-ke-brunei-darussalam