A civil servant, identified as Fadhli Rahim, 33, has been detained and brought on trial for criticizing Gowa regent Ichsan Yasin through social media Line.
The staff of Gowa Tourism agency who has been detained in Makassar penitentiary since Dec. 24, reportedly accused the regent of receiving fees from investors through Line conversation group among his high school alumni on May 6.
On the first trial at the Sungguminasa District Court Gowa, last week, prosecutors charged the defendant with the Law 11/2008 on Information and Electronics Transaction, which carries a maximum sentence of six years in jail and a maximum fine of Rp 1 billion (US$8,000).
In the second trial on Wednesday, Fadhli’s lawyers from the Makassar Legal Aid Institute rejected the charge, saying that it’s against the 1945 State Constitution that guaranteed freedom of opinion and expressions.
Fadhli’s mother Rukmini said she and her son asked for an apology for the regent who is also the younger brother of South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo.
The 53-year-old woman who is an English teacher at Sungguminasa State Senior High School, said she had to work at a high school in the suburb area that needed 3.5 hours to reach it. “I don’t know why I was transferred. I have been teaching here for 29 years.”
Sumber : thejakartapost.com