I give the police thumbs-up."
Depok, West Java (ANTARA News) - Presidential candidate Joko Widodo (Jokowi) hailed the polices decision to name the editors of "Obor Rakyat" tabloid-like leaflet as suspects in a defamation case.

"This is called a firm law enforcement action," he said on the sidelines of his campaign activity in Depok, West Java, on Friday.

He said he considered the polices action commendable, and so, it is now up to the courts ruling over the case. "I give the police thumbs-up," he added.

Jokowi expressed that he hoped the police will continue with its investigation in finding out the financier behind the publication, as it was worth not millions but billions.

The national police on Thursday had named two Obor Rakyat editors - Setyardi Budiono and Darmawan Septiyossa - as suspects following a complaint from Jokowis advocacy team.

"They were named as suspects on Thursday night," the director of general crimes of the criminal investigation department, Brigadier General Herry Prastowo, said.

Herry said the police had two pieces of evidence against the suspects.

The suspects have been allegedly charged of violating Article 9 of the Press Law as they had no license to publish the leaflet, carrying a maximum sentence of Rp100 million.

Herry said he could not as yet determine whether the two will also be charged with violating criminal law, saying the police is still continuing their investigation.

Obor Tabloid had issued two editions that had been distributed in a number of Islamic boarding schools and mosques in Central and East Java provinces during the pre-election campaign period that started on June 4, 2014.

The headlines of the tabloids first edition was "Puppet Presidential Candidate" and that of the second edition was "1001 Image Building Masks."

Jokowi had earlier said that his team of lawyers had filed a police report over the libelous "Obor Rakyat" tabloid.

"The tabloid contains black campaigns. This is a criminal act. That is why our team of lawyers has filed the police report," he said.

The tabloids content has discredited him and his pair, Jusuf Kalla (JK), he said, adding that he could differentiate fair news items from the unfair and libelous ones.

Asked whether the tabloids content had affected his electability rating, the former Solo mayor, popularly called Jokowi, admitted that his electability rating had slightly declined.

Indonesia plans to hold a presidential election on July 9, which will be contested by two pairs, namely Prabowo Subianto with Hatta Rajasa as his running mate and Jokowi who pairs with JK. The campaign period is scheduled to end on July 5.

Prabowo Subianto is a retired military general and the founder of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), while his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, is a former coordinating minister for economic affairs and the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Meanwhile, Jokowi is Jakartas governor and a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), while his running mate, JK, is a former vice president and a senior politician of the Golkar Party.

(Reported by Rangga Pandu Asmara Jingga/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2014