REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- National Police have started searching for masterminds and financiers of the spread of fake news on marked ballots. They believed Bagus Bawana Putra (BBP) was ordered and financed to create false news.

"There is a possibility that there are intellectual actors and financiers behind this case," said spokesperson of the National Police, Brigadier General Dedi Prasetyo at National Police Headquarters, in Jakarta, on Thursday (Jan 10).

Dedi explained that investigators were still examining BBP as main suspect to reveal the motive. He hoped other buzzers and intellectual actors could be nailed from BBP testimony.

Dedi said, the police did not directly link the suspect political background with his motive of creating hoax. BBP was known to have been serving as Chairperson of the National Volunteer Coalition of presidential candidate pair number two, but the National Winning Agency (BPN) of Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno has denied the news by saying that BBP is not their volunteer frontman.

"We focus on legal fact that BBP is the content creator, while his motives are still being explored," Dedi said.

According to Dedi, BBP claimed that no one told him to create false news. It was his own idea and he worked alone, Dedi said.

Earlier, three people had been arrested in a number of areas, namely HY in Bogor, LS in Balikpapan and J in Brebes. However, all three were only active disseminators. None of them are detained as all three are subject to article 15 of Act number 1 of 1946 with threats under five years in prison.

Fake news on seven containers from China with 10 million marked ballots that had been cast in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, in favor of incumbent President Joko Widodo-KH Ma'ruf Amin pair went viral on various social medias platform on Wednesday (Jan 2). Head of Cyber ​​Crime of National Police, Police Commissioner Dani Kustoni said the suspect allegedly intentionally created and spreaded the fake news. BBP also tried to erase digital traces by changing mobile phone number and cellphone.

"Of course, the deliberate factors had been fulfilled," Dani said at Police Headquarters, in Jakarta, on Wednesday (Jan 9).

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