Labuan Police investigators were accused of criminalizing Yadi Cahyadi, a news source for one of the local media in Banten.

Yadi was reported on charges of defamation after being a news source entitled "A Number of TPI Labuan Employees Resigned, Allegedly Due to Not Receiving Salaries for Several Months".

Yadi Cahyadi was reported by TPI Labuan manager Eman Saepul Rohman for defamation. The accusation was based on news in the Satelitnews daily newspaper.

The report was contained in a summons letter Number B/01/I/2024/Sek.Lbn dated January 03, 2024. The invitation letter asked Yadi for clarification in the context of the investigation.

However, the police action was considered by a number of journalists in Pandeglang as an attempt to criminalize Yadi.

Chairman of the Pandeglang Working Group of Journalists (Porwan) Tubagus Agus Jamaluddin said, based on Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press, sources are part of journalistic products as long as what is conveyed is factual. Thus, the police action is considered an attempt to criminalize the source.

He also threatened to hold a demonstration in front of the Pandeglang Police Headquarters, Tuesday, January 9, 2024. This action is a form of protest against investigators who are considered incompetent.

"We will take action on Tuesday, so that the police understand what they are doing. So that in the future, they do not just take action. Don't let this law be used for the benefit of a handful of people," he said, Saturday, January 6, 2024.

Agus asked Pandeglang Police officials to evaluate the performance of Labuan Police investigators who were considered not understanding the rules. This is to prevent similar incidents.

"Just evaluate, place competent people, who understand and understand the rules. Don't use the law and articles as a tool to scare. Distinguish between journalistic products and pure crime," he said.

IJTI Pandeglang Regional Coordinator (Korwil) Dendi Sudrajat suggested that investigators have a deep understanding of the law, so that similar problems do not recur in the future.

"The police must carry out a massive evaluation, because it is possible that other investigators also do not understand and understand journalistic products and the laws that bind them," he concluded.