WIRETAPPING DRAFT REGULATION TO BE FINISHED IN MAY, MINISTER

Depok, West Java, Jan 10 (ANTARA) - Minister of Communications and Information Tifatul Sembiring said on Sunday the government would finish drawing up a draft regulation on wiretapping in April or May 2010.

The minister said the material of the draft was recently in the hands of the Law and Human Rights Ministry for further study.

Several state agencies were involved during the study namely the Corruption radication Commission (KPK), National Police, Attorney General's Office, National Intelligence Agency (BIN), Ministry of Communications and Information, Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

Tifatul added that institutions or agencies authorized to conduct wiretapping before the draft was proposed to be made, namely the KPK and the Police could still carry out their task.
Chief spokesman for the Ministry of Communications and Information Gatot S Dewa Broto said his office would conduct a public test of the wiretapping draft regulation immediately after the Ministry of Law and Human Rights finished studing it.

"Public tests will be conducted since the new draft has triggered a contorversy in the public," he said.

The Ministry of Communications and Information along with a team of several related ministries had since May 2008 formulated a draft regulation on ways of interception.