JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Setyardi Budiono, founder and editor in chief of Obor Rakyat, a slanderous tabloid which was widely circulated against presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, failed to show up on Thursday (June 19) for questioning at the National Police’s headquarter.
Spokesperson of the National Police’s headquarter Pol. Ins. Gen. Ronny Franky Sompie explained that Setyardi failed to answer the call as he has just came back from a leave.
According to Ronny, the Police has sent a second call to Setyardi for a questioning rescheduled for next Monday (June 23).
Today, the Police has scheduled to question Darmawan Sepriyossa, another founder and managing editor of Obor Rakyat.
As reported earlier, some editions of Obor Rakyat tabloid had been circulated in a number of Islamic boarding schools in East Java and West Java.
The advocacy team of Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla then has filed a report to the Police over smear campaign committed by Obor Rakyat. Jokowi-Kalla advocacy team asked the Police to investigate those behind the circulation of Obor Rakyat, including its financiers.
Setiyardi Budiono himself is known as the assistance of Velix Wanggai, the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s expert on regional autonomy. Felix Wanggai, however, depended himself by arguing that Setyardi’s decision to publish Obor Rakyat tabloid was his own decision. (haryantos@yosefardi.biz)