Controversies
The propensity of certain Indonesian media outlets to reproduce Roy's statements verbatim without checking their veracity prompted some Indonesian netizens in 2004 to establish a website (now defunct) called roysuryowatch,which analyzed and criticized his comments quoted in the mass media. [16] He was criticized by some bloggers after commenting that the defacing of government websites was carried out by bloggers and hackers. [17] The feud escalated after he said bloggers were con artists. [18]
In August 2007,Roy announced he had obtained a recording of an original,longer version of Indonesia's national anthem,Indonesia Raya,from Leiden University's library archives. Leiden University Library later denied supplying Roy with the alternative version. [19] It transpired the alternative version had been aired on Indonesian television in 2004 and uploaded to YouTube in December 2006. [20] [21] In August 2013,Roy was criticized after he appeared to forget the lyrics to the national anthem at a football match in Yogyakarta. [22] He explained that he had not forgotten the lyrics,but that the crowd had been singing loudly out of time. [23]
In 2005,when a topless photo alleged to be Miss Indonesia Artika Sari Devi was spread online,Roy claimed the photo was genuine. The photo was later revealed to be that of a Thai transvestite. [24]
On 25 September 2008,Roy's expertise was questioned during the trial of Muslim extremist Rizieq Shihab,who was ultimately convicted and jailed for having incited his supporters to attack an inter-faith rally at Jakarta's National Monument. Rizieq's lawyer said Roy's evidence for the prosecution should be discounted because his educational background is not in telematics. [25]
In October 2008,when a photo circulated showing the regent of Southwest Aceh,Akmal Ibrahim,embracing a woman in bed,Roy declared the photo to be genuine and said the woman was not the regent's wife. [26] Ibrahim insisted the woman in the photo was his wife,Ida Agustina,and reported Roy to police for defamation. [27]
On 26 February 2009,actress sisters Sarah Azhari and Rahma Azhari reported Roy to police,accusing him of publicly disseminating private photos of the sisters bathing naked. The report accused Roy of violating the Criminal Code and Information and Electronic Transactions Law,with a threat of six years in jail. [28] Roy denied any wrongdoing and questioned the health of the sister's legal counsel,saying he only wanted to help the siblings find out who had shared the photos. [29]
In the 2009 trial of actress of Marcella Zalianty and Ananda Mikola,who were accused of kidnapping and abuse,Roy appeared as an expert witness for the prosecution. Ruby Z. Alamsyah,a digital forensic analyst,appearing as an expert witness for the defense,said Roy's testimony was invalid because he has no expertise in international telematics. [30]
In 2009,Roy put himself forward as an expert witness for the prosecution in the defamation trial of Prita Mulyasari,a housewife who was jailed for complaining about being misdiagnosed by a hospital in Banten province. [31]
In 2010,Roy was an expert witness for police in a case involving a leaked sex tape that featured singer Ariel and actress Luna Maya. One of the lawyers representing Ariel and Luna,Boy Afrian Bondjol,alleged that Roy sent a text message to Luna in early June 2010,offering to cooperate with her in handling the case. [32] Boy said the text message read:"Morning Miss,sorry to bother you if you are taking a rest but hope not and get you fresh to reply this. This really takes my serious concern as I've been pondering solutions over the hot issue having been shocking Indonesia lately. If you agree with the conditions;First,in the following week,let media and those who claim to know everything and as IT experts comment,you just keep silent. [33] Second,when I return from Amsterdam next week on June 13,we will make a press conference,and thankfully,all three,Miss,Ariel and I. Just set the place and time. It's up to you Miss." [34] Boy said Roy also suggested that Luna deny the veracity of the sex tape,and that Roy would report the case to Jakarta Police Cyber Crime Department. Roy admitted he had sent text messages to Luna,but claimed he felt tricked by her,because she had denied being in the video and he had initially believed her denial. [35]
In March 2011,Roy and his wife were ejected from a Lion Air flight after trying to take the seats of legitimate ticket holders. Roy blamed Lion Air for the incident. [36]
In April 2012,a sex tape was leaked allegedly featuring Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator Karolin Margret Natasa,the daughter of the governor of West Kalimantan. She denied involvement. Roy on 24 April 2012 said he believed the woman in the video was indeed "KMN",but he declined to become further involved in the case to avoid a conflict of interest,as he belonged to a rival party. [37] [38]
In August 2014,Roy was the victim of online fraud perpetrated by a 16-year-old boy in Subang,West Java. The boy had offered for sale a Malaysian bicycle,which usually retailed for about RM990 ($300),for just Rp890,000 ($73). Roy transferred Rp1 million for the bike and its delivery to Jakarta,but the item was never delivered. Roy contacted police,who tracked down and arrested the boy. Indonesian netizens complained that police rarely deal with e-commerce fraud cases involving only a few million rupiah. Roy denied he had been tricked,saying he had deliberately "entered the trap" in order to expose the scammer. He further said police responded swiftly to his report because he has a good relationship with them. [39]
In April 2016,Roy was reportedly fooled by a fake Twitter account set up in the name of President Joko Widodo's son Gibran. The phony account tweeted "Those with their payday,go shopping. Those without salaries,go talk to the government." Roy responded with an attacking tweet:"Tweeps,Twit child without a conscience. Those "without payday" are millions of Indonesians...#AskJOKOWI." In response to mockery that he had been baited by a fake account,Roy said he knew the account was fake all along. He said he had responded to the fake tweet just to elicit reactions from Widodo supporters,whom he referred to derisively as "tadpoles". [40]
Wikipedia vandalism complaint
On 24 January 2020,Roy filed a police complaint over an edit to the United Nations page on the Indonesian version of Wikipedia. The edit,made on 21 January 2020 and showing scant regard for capitalization,changed the location of the first UN General Assembly from "Westminster Central Hall" in London to "jln setiabudi (sunda atlantis)". [41] It also changed the location of the UN's first temporary headquarters over 1946 to 1952 from a building owned by Sperry Gyroscope Corporation in Lake Success,New York,to "villa isola in lembang,Bandung". Roy said he suspected the edits were made by a cult known as the Sunda Empire,which claims to have founded the UN and NATO. “If we look for the history of the United Nations and NATO,the ones that come up are fake historical references made by the Sunda Empire. This is dangerous,”said Roy. Police said they would investigate the complaint,which alleges violations of the Electronic and Information Transactions Law and the Criminal Code. [42]
Jokowi Borobudur meme
In July 2022,Roy Suryo was formerly a suspect after posting a controversial meme about the Borobudur statue's face that closely resembles to Joko Widodo on his social media. [43] He was arrested for alleged blasphemy in August 2022,and sentenced to 9 months in prison along with a fine of Rp150 million. [44]
