REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Police said Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Haris Azhar could come up with a new evidence to back up his article on interview with the late Freddy Budiman, a drug convict executed last week.

Police chief spokesman Ins.Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said hopefully there would be new evidence in the process of handling reports filed with the Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) by the police headquarters, the military (TNI and the national Narcotics Agency (BNN) against Haris.

The three institutions charged Haris with libel with his article titled "Rotten Story from a Bandit: Testimony from a Meeting with Freddy Budiman at Nusa Kambangan Prison (2014)".

The article by Haris said notorious leader of drug dealer Freddy, claimed to have bribed law enforcement officers with hundreds of billions of rupiahs to protect his illicit business in the country.

"Based on my calculation in the years of work to smuggle narcotics , I have given Rp450 billion to BNN officials. I have given Rp90 billion to certain officials of the police headquarters. I have even used a car of a two star TNI general," Freddy was quoted as saying in 2014.

Boy said facts and evidence were important in evaluating cases without bias to give justice for all parties involved.

"We want to create legal certainty based on facts," he said.

He said police doubted the authenticity of the statements supposedly made by Freddy as written by Haris.

There is no proof to back up the claims such as in the form of recorded voices, other than what written by Haris based on his memory, Boy pointed out.

"I am not saying that it was easily a fabrication, but in my opinion there is something doubtful in what Freddy had said to Haris," he said.

Boy confirmed that police have not named Haris a suspect, saying "it needs time to name someone a suspect."

Meanwhile President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was quoted as saying investigations should be launched of report about officials being mired drug cases "if the allegation is backed up by facts and proofs."

"The president said all officials without exception involved in the context of law enforcement especially in drug crimes must be firmly dealt with, wiped pout," special staff of the president in communications Johan Budi SP said later on Wednesday.

The president was referring the article of Haris, Johan Budi said . Haris said earlier that he had given a copy of his article to Johan Budi to be conveyed to the president.

The allegation, however, should be backed up with facts and evidence, the president said as quoted by Johan Budi.

"The president wants the public to understand that everybody is free to have an opinion and launch criticism about the performance of officials , but before sharing out the opinion or information it is necessary to think it over and over. Especially when the information is serious affecting the good name of institutions," Johan Budi said.

Johan said further that President Jokowi also want government and law enforcement officials to see criticism or information as inputs for introspection. 

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