Jokowi’s fake diploma allegation sparks unnecessary controversy

The controversy surrounding an alleged fake university diploma belonging to former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo appears to be nearing resolution, though legal consequences for involved individuals could still result in criminal charges.

The National Police have officially halted their investigation into the forged diploma allegations after forensic tests. These tests compared Jokowi’s diploma with those of three fellow students from Gadjah Mada University’s (UGM) School of Forestry, confirming its authenticity.

The investigation stemmed from a lawsuit by legal practitioner Muhammad Taufiq at the Surakarta District Court, challenging Jokowi’s educational credentials and his administration's legitimacy as Surakarta mayor (2005-2012). Taufiq's lawsuit also named the Surakarta General Elections Commission (KPU), SMAN 6 state senior high school of Surakarta and UGM as co-defendants.

Despite the police's assessment, Taufiq maintains that the court proceedings in Surakarta should continue.

However, Roy Suryo, a former youth and sports minister and a UGM alumnus known for questioning Jokowi's background, criticized the police investigation as opaque and lacking transparency. He intends to report the police investigators to internal oversight bodies like the National Police Commission (Kompolnas). Former Constitutional Court chief justice Jimly Asshiddiqie also argued that the police should not have had the final say, suggesting the matter be resolved in the State Administrative Court or a district court.

While the police have closed the forgery investigation, they are pursuing potential defamation charges linked to the allegations.

Taufiq himself faces legal trouble; he and others have been reported to the police by lawyer Asri Purwanti for alleged hate speech, defamation, incitement and providing false information. This led to Zaenal, a former member of Taufiq’s legal team, withdrawing from the case after being named a suspect in an unrelated document forgery investigation.

Roy also faces a police report from Jokowi supporters grouped under the Relawan Solidaritas Merah Putih and the Advocate Public Defender under Peradi Bersatu. The politician is accused of inciting public suspicion against Jokowi’s diploma on a TV program without credible evidence.

In a related development, Dian Sandi Utama of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) is under investigation for posting a photo of Jokowi’s diploma on X on April 1 without consent. Reported by University of North Sumatra lecturer Yusuf L. Henuk, Dian later apologized to Jokowi, stating his actions were meant to show support.

Authorities are considering applying the controversial Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law to these cases.

Discussions about Jokowi's alleged fake diploma recently resurfaced on social media. Jokowi reportedly enrolled in UGM’s Faculty of Forestry in 1980 and graduated in 1985. This is the fourth time he has faced such challenges, having successfully defended against the three previous lawsuits.

Those questioning the validity of Jokowi’s diploma included supporters of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto ahead of the 2014 race won by Jokowi.

A recent Indikator Politik Indonesia survey found 66 percent of respondents believed Jokowi did not fabricate his diploma, while 19 percent believed otherwise. Regardless, this controversy creates unnecessary noise that won't change the fact of Jokowi's 2014-2024 presidency.

It's worth considering who benefits from this political distraction.