GOVT URGED TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM WIRETAPPING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 24 (Antara) - Indonesia-Australia strained relations over wiretapping issue last November are still fresh in mind when on Monday at home the chief intelligence came up to deny allegations of involvement in an alleged eavesdropping at Jakarta governor's residence.          Antara report on Monday did not mention who had accused the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) of being involved in the wiretapping and the planting of bugging devices at the official residence of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi.          Without mentioning names or institutions which he alleged to have accused BIN of involvement in the alleged bugging case, BIN Head Marciano Norman clearly denied if his institution was involved.          "I assure that BIN did not wiretap Jokowi (Joko Widodo), let alone she (former president Megawati Soekarnoputri)", BIN Chairman Marciano Norman stated after attending a coordinating meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission I on defense, information and foreign affairs on Monday.