Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has asked the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) to thoroughly investigate the fake news on cast ballots of the 2019 election being stored in seven containers at the Tanjung Priok Port of Jakarta.

"The prosecutors are urged to complete the case in addition to finding those responsible for disseminating the issue related to the containers," said Tjahjo Kumolo, after meeting Chief of National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Kabareskrim) Comm Gen Arief Sulistyanto at the Bareskrim Building, Jakarta, on Thursday.

Kumolo also asked Bareskrim to thoroughly investigate the perpetrators of the spread of false news stating that there were 31 million mysterious data for the 2019 Election, which he said were not found.

He noted that the hoaxes were affecting public opinion, which was feared to disrupt the process of consolidating democracy.

In addition, the false news had troubled the political parties, as the main actors in the 2019 Election.

As Minister of Home Affairs, Kumolo fully supports the efforts of the General Election Commission (KPU), which will report false news on the ballot papers to the National Police Bareskrim today.

"I am sure the KPU has implemented it transparently and openly in accordance with existing rules and laws," Kumolo revealed.

Chairman of the General Election Commission Arief Budiman on Thursday morning checked directly into Tanjung Priok Port to ascertain whether the seven containers had the ballots which had been cast.

Budiman explained that the news circulating was not in accordance with the facts in the field after his party coordinated with related parties, including Customs and Excise as well as directly, to carry out checks together with the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu).

The KPU received information that there were seven containers of ballots from China which had been cast off for the number 01 presidential and vice presidential candidate pair in Tanjung Priok at around 16.00 WIB. After that, the KPU coordinated with Customs and Excise, the police, and other related parties.

Reporting by Dyah Dwi Astuti, Eliswan

Reporter: Antara
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019