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NasDem Lawmaker Denies Role in Blocking Pati Activist's Account
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

NasDem Lawmaker Denies Role in Blocking Pati Activist's Account

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A NasDem Party legislator has denied accusations that he proposed blocking the bank account of an activist from Pati.
  • The legislator claims his name was used in a forged letter and that he has no authority to make such requests.
  • Bank Mandiri has announced it will restore the activist's account following requests from a parliamentary commission and the regional police.

Muhammad Habibur Rochman, a legislator from the NasDem Party, has vehemently denied allegations that he proposed blocking the bank account of activist Supriyono, also known as Botok. Botok is associated with the Alliance of Pati Community United (AMPB) and was fundraising for an upcoming action scheduled for August 27.

Habibur stated that his name was falsely used in a circulating letter that purportedly requested authorities to block Botok's donation account. He asserted that he lacks the authority to make such proposals to banking institutions or law enforcement agencies. "So I want to clarify that there might be a similarity in names, but I emphasize once again, with 1,000 percent certainty, that it was not me," Habibur said.

So I want to clarify that there might be a similarity in names, but I emphasize once again, with 1,000 percent certainty, that it was not me.

— Muhammad Habibur RochmanNasDem Party legislator Muhammad Habibur Rochman denying accusations of proposing to block an activist's bank account.

He further explained that the accusation is baseless and a form of slander and hoax, pointing out that he does not represent the Pati electoral district. Habibur was elected from the East Java 8 electoral district, which includes Mojokerto, Jombang, Nganjuk, and Madiun. This geographical discrepancy, he argued, clearly shows the falsity of the claims.

So from that alone, it is clear that it is slander and also a hoax, which is baseless.

— Muhammad Habibur RochmanNasDem Party legislator Muhammad Habibur Rochman explaining why the accusations against him are false.

The legislator expressed his shock at becoming a target on social media, noting that the accusation not only damaged his personal reputation but also that of his party, NasDem. He emphasized his lack of access to banking or law enforcement channels, as his commission assignments do not involve such partnerships.

In a related development, PT Bank Mandiri has announced its intention to restore Botok's account. Bank Mandiri CEO Riduan stated that the reactivation is in response to directives from the DPR's Commission III and the Metro Jaya Regional Police. Riduan apologized for any inconvenience caused by the previous account suspension and reaffirmed the bank's commitment to maintaining customer trust.

We will follow up on what was conveyed earlier to immediately reactivate the account for which transaction suspension was previously conveyed.

— RiduanBank Mandiri CEO Riduan on the decision to reactivate the activist's bank account.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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