Semarang (ANTARA News) - The deputy chairman of the Press Council, Leo Batubara, said the police`s summons to two dailies in connection with Anggodo Widjojo`s complaint was not a right decision.

He said after a seminar on "Evaluation of the Media`s Role in the 2009 General Elections" here on Saturday that the media only presented information including about the case.

The police have summoned executives of the "Seputar Indonesia" (Sindo) and Kompas dailies for questioning following a complaint from Anggodo Widjojo. "This is very concerning," he said.

He said the media had so far acted only as a stage or a mirror, presenting existing facts and so when the facts are not like what the parties involved expect the blame must not be put on the mirror.

Moreover, he said, there were also other media that had reported the transcript of the recording of wiretapped conversations between Anggodo and several law enforcement officials and the recording had earlier been played at the constitutional court.

"It seemed that conflicts had also occured within the police in connection with the summons, as proven by the cancellation before," he said.

A member of the National Police Commission, Novel Ali, also expressed regret over the police`s decision to summon the two media executives, saying it would only widen the gap between the police and media community.

"In what context the summons were made. If they (the media) made mistakes such as committing criminal acts the summons are correct but if the summons are related to publication of stories let it be settled internally. It isn`t that they have a Press Council," he said.

Ali also said the time for issuing the summons was also not right because public opinions that were developing were that Anggoro had to be processed immediately and under such a situation no pressures must be allowed.

"The police must be pro-active listening to public opinions through media and not defensive because their image depends on media and therefore the relations between the police and the media must be synergic," he said.

Indeed the police have an authority for it according to Law Number 2 of 2002 and so the summons were actually lawful.

"However the police should have considered it well before because the sumons actually were not needed. It would be the police who would lose," Ali said. (*)

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
COPYRIGHT © 2012

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