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Police summon Ahok in blasphemy case, deny favoritism
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Rocky campaign: Gubernatorial candidate and incumbent Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Thahaja Purnama talks to residents during a visit to Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta, on Oct. 31. The National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) will summon Ahok for questioning next week regarding a case of alleged blasphemy amid mounting pressure from Muslim groups. (Antara Photo/Hafidz Mubarak A.)
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mid mounting public pressure, the National Police will summon gubernatorial candidate and incumbent Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Thahaja Purnama for questioning next week regarding an alleged blasphemy case.
The National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) had scheduled the questioning for Nov. 7 and would soon send the summons to Ahok, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said.
“We will take his statement, Insya Allah [God Willing], on Monday,” Tito said during the Mata Najwa talk show broadcast live by Metro TV station on Wednesday evening.
Ahok, a Christian and Indonesian of Chinese descent in the predominantly Muslim country, sparked uproar among Muslim groups and communities after he made a comment on verses in the Quran during his visit to the Thousand Islands regency in late September. The police have so far received around a dozen reports regarding the case.
On Friday, around 50,000 people are expected to swarm Jakarta's streets to demand Ahok's prosecution for alleged blasphemy.
(Read also: Friendly approach to control Friday's rally)
A number of Muslim figures have also accused law enforcers of protecting Ahok. Ahok, who previously served as deputy Jakarta governor, replaced his former boss, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, after the latter won the presidential election in 2014.
Tito, however, strongly denied the accusation and said that the police would continue the legal process for the case. (hwa)
