T

he Garut Legislative Council (DPRD) has formed a special committee (Pansus), comprised 17 of 50 legislators, to decide Regent Aceng Fikri’s future.

The Pansus will have 14 days to gather all the evidence regarding the unofficial marriage between Aceng and a teenager known only by the initials FO, said committee head Asep Lesmana bin Achlan over the phone on Wednesday. Asep said the Pansus would summon Aceng, FO and other parties who knew about the marriage, including witnesses at the wedding. The Pansus plans to summon FO on Thursday.

Constitutional law experts and representatives from the religious affairs court, the National Commission on Women and Child Protection and the Indonesia Ulema Council will also be invited to give their opinions on kawin siri (Islamic marriage).

“The result will be handed over to the home minister,” Asep said, adding that the meeting between the Pansus and Aceng and FO would be held behind closed doors.

Aceng has reportedly met the DPRD speaker to clarify the issue. “He [Aceng] has yet to be summoned by the Pansus, but he has informally made clarifications to the DPRD speaker on the issue,” said Aceng’s lawyer Ujang Suja’i. Ujang added that his client would also file a report against FO to the National Police Criminal Investigation Directorate (Bareskrim) on Thursday.