AJI: Delta Pos Reporter Murdered Because of His Work
Monday, 15 May, 2006 | 08:18 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has stated that Herliyanto, a reporter from the Delta Pos newspaper in Sidoarjo, was murdered because of his journalistic work.

AJI came to this conclusion after sending its fact-finding team to the field.

“We strongly criticize the murder of Herliyanto. It was a direct attack against the freedom of the press and the right of the general public to have access to information,” said AJI Indonesian Chairman, Heru Hendratmoko, in Jakarta, today (15/5).

Herliyanto, 40, was found dead on April 29 this year, near a teak forest in Tarokan Village, Banyuanyar, Probolinggo, East Java.

The autopsy result from Probolinggo General Hospital, showed that the victim died because of stab wounds in the stomach, back of the neck and the top of his head.

AJI's fact-finding team began to work a few days after the incident.

The team found several strong evidences that Herliyanto was murdered because of the news reports that he had made.

Herliyanto once reported about Tulupari village residents regarding corruption in distributing rice for the poor.
As a result, the head of the village leader was sentenced and dismissed from duty by the residents.

In another report, Herliyanto wrote about corruption regarding clean water in Padagangan Village, Probolinggo.

He wrote this report based on a complaint from the Village Representative Council to the Probolinggo Regent.

Herliyanto also wrote about corruption case involving operational aid funds for schools in Tiris District, a falsified school principal's signature, and the collapse of a river wall in Tulupari Village.

Based on its findings, AJI supports the efforts of Probolinggo police to conclusively solve the Herliyanto murder case.

“The police must bring all the perpetrators to court,” said Heru.

J Jamaludin