The National Police waded into the scandal over the Internet sex videos allegedly involving three of the country’s most famous celebrities on Wednesday, announcing that it would take over a Jakarta Police probe into the affair.
“We are taking over this case because the video has spread nationwide through the Internet,” the National Police’s chief of detectives, Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi, told reporters after a briefing at the House of Representatives.
He added that police planned to summon Nazriel “Ariel” Ilham, of the band Peterpan; his girlfriend, Luna Maya, a TV presenter and film star; and Cut Tari, also a TV presenter.
They would be questioned over their alleged starring roles in the three videos that have been seen everywhere from social networking sites Twitter and Facebook to the stalls at Glodok market, where DVD versions have been selling for about Rp 40,000 ($4.30) each.
Ito said a team from the police cybercrime unit had an IT expert review the videos on Tuesday night and then sent summonses to the celebrities on Wednesday.
“We are taking over this case because the video has spread nationwide through the Internet,” the National Police’s chief of detectives, Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi, told reporters after a briefing at the House of Representatives.
He added that police planned to summon Nazriel “Ariel” Ilham, of the band Peterpan; his girlfriend, Luna Maya, a TV presenter and film star; and Cut Tari, also a TV presenter.
They would be questioned over their alleged starring roles in the three videos that have been seen everywhere from social networking sites Twitter and Facebook to the stalls at Glodok market, where DVD versions have been selling for about Rp 40,000 ($4.30) each.
Ito said a team from the police cybercrime unit had an IT expert review the videos on Tuesday night and then sent summonses to the celebrities on Wednesday.
“Their status is as witnesses, and they can come whenever they want after coordinating with their lawyers,” he added.
The head of the cybercrime unit, Sr. Comr. Petrus Golose, assured reporters that the police were not out to criminalize those on camera. “We are only trying to find out who is responsible for spreading this video through the Internet.”
Ito said the people in the videos could have been impersonators. “I already asked my detectives about that, but to make sure we need to summon them.”
So far, none of the celebrities portrayed in the recordings has made public comment on the scandal.
IT expert Heru Sutadi, a member of the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Body (BRTI), said some features of the videos indicated that they were authentic. “I’ve also compared it with Ariel’s photos, and his watch is the same,” he said.
The Jakarta Police, meanwhile, will turn their attention to the almost impossible task of halting the spread of the videos. Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said the force would coordinate with the Ministry of National Education to carry out raids at schools to search students’ cellphones for the videos. “We are also going to raid several places that sell porn DVDs,” he added.
Taufik Yudi Mulyanto, head of the Jakarta Education Agency, said it would also inspect students’ cellphones. Highlighting how far the videos have spread, authorities in Batam have announced similar plans to check students’ mobiles and raid Internet cafes.
Nurulita Novi Arlaida, media relations manager for Unilever Indonesia, told that the company would not end Luna’s contract as their brand ambassador without first hearing her side.
“We asked her to come in and discuss her contract on Friday. We also received a statement from her manager declaring that it wasn’t her in the video,” she said.
Billboards featuring Luna and Ariel, however, would soon be replaced, Nurulita confirmed.
The head of the cybercrime unit, Sr. Comr. Petrus Golose, assured reporters that the police were not out to criminalize those on camera. “We are only trying to find out who is responsible for spreading this video through the Internet.”
Ito said the people in the videos could have been impersonators. “I already asked my detectives about that, but to make sure we need to summon them.”
So far, none of the celebrities portrayed in the recordings has made public comment on the scandal.
IT expert Heru Sutadi, a member of the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Body (BRTI), said some features of the videos indicated that they were authentic. “I’ve also compared it with Ariel’s photos, and his watch is the same,” he said.
The Jakarta Police, meanwhile, will turn their attention to the almost impossible task of halting the spread of the videos. Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said the force would coordinate with the Ministry of National Education to carry out raids at schools to search students’ cellphones for the videos. “We are also going to raid several places that sell porn DVDs,” he added.
Taufik Yudi Mulyanto, head of the Jakarta Education Agency, said it would also inspect students’ cellphones. Highlighting how far the videos have spread, authorities in Batam have announced similar plans to check students’ mobiles and raid Internet cafes.
Nurulita Novi Arlaida, media relations manager for Unilever Indonesia, told that the company would not end Luna’s contract as their brand ambassador without first hearing her side.
“We asked her to come in and discuss her contract on Friday. We also received a statement from her manager declaring that it wasn’t her in the video,” she said.
Billboards featuring Luna and Ariel, however, would soon be replaced, Nurulita confirmed.
