A military officer stationed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport allegedly assisted influencer Rachel Vennya in escaping mandatory COVID-19 quarantine after returning from abroad, an official investigation has revealed.
The investigation was conducted by Jakarta Raya Military Regional Command (Kodam Jaya), with the officer — identified by his initials FS — set to undergo questioning soon.
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“During the investigation, we found that there was allegedly non-procedural action by a member of Soekarno-hatta Airport Security Armed Forces with the initials FS,” Kodam Jaya’s spokesman Herwin BS said in a statement today.
Herwin said the investigation into Rachel’s case is ongoing, with authorities tracing back the influencer’s journey from her arrival at the airport to the COVID-19 Emergency Hospital at Wisma Atlet Pademangan, North Jakarta.
In addition, Rachel shouldn’t have been permitted to stay at the facility in the first place, as those who are entitled to quarantine at Wisma Atlet Pademangan are Indonesian migrant workers, students, and government officials.
The 26-year-old Rachel and her partner, Salim Nauderer, recently returned from New York Fashion Week as an ambassador for an Indonesian fashion brand, along with other celebrities and influencers. According to Indonesia’s regulations at the time of their return, travelers arriving from abroad must undergo quarantine for eight days upon arrival.
The allegation first surfaced after an Instagram user wrote a comment under a post, claiming to be the administrative officer who entered Rachel’s data at the COVID-19 Emergency Hospital in Wisma Atlet Pademangan, North Jakarta.
Responding to the possible scandal, Health Ministry spokeswoman Siti Nadia Tarmizi said on Tuesday that the government wants authorities to seriously look into the case.
Under Indonesia’s Health Quarantine Law, Rachel and her partner could potentially face up to one-year imprisonment each for violating mandatory quarantine rules.
