Moreno apologizes after video call at DPR mining hearing

JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—Gerindra Party lawmaker Moreno Soeprapto has apologized after footage showed him taking a video call during a House of Representatives (DPR) hearing with state mining holding company MIND ID. He said his wife called so he could comfort their child. The child had recently left the hospital.

The footage, which circulated online over the weekend, shows Moreno smiling and briefly sticking out his tongue toward his phone. The incident occurred while the September 15 hearing continued. 

The moment prompted criticism of his conduct during an official meeting. However, the clip alone does not establish how much of the proceedings he followed.

Moreno is a member of House Commission XII. The hearing brought together MIND ID executives and leaders of its mining subsidiaries. 

A House report on the meeting describes discussion of tin-mining governance. It would therefore be inaccurate to characterize the entire hearing as a debate about coal.

In a clarification posted to his Instagram account, Moreno said he received the call after he had spoken at the meeting. 

“I had just finished speaking when the call came in,” he said.

Moreno said he made the playful gesture to cheer up his child, not to mock the hearing. 

His wife, Nurani, said their child was recovering after leaving hospital and had asked to see his father. She acknowledged that calling during the meeting may have been the wrong decision.

The couple apologized publicly on Sunday, September 20. Moreno said he had not intended to show disrespect to the proceedings. 

Their explanation provides context for the call. However, it does not prevent the public from questioning whether a video call was appropriate while a parliamentary hearing was underway.

The distinction matters. Lawmakers carry out public duties in hearings, and their conduct is open to scrutiny. 

The House has a code of ethics for its members. Criticism of a gesture should not be presented as a formal finding that Moreno breached it.

The verified account is narrower: the call occurred during the hearing. Moreno explained why he took it, and he apologized.