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Prosecutors promise to prove Ahok's criminal intent during trial
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A prosecutor reads out a document during the second hearing of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's trial at the North Jakarta District Court in Jakarta on Dec. 20. Ahok is on trial for blasphemy following his remark about a passage in the Quran that could be interpreted as prohibiting Muslims from accepting non-Muslims as leaders. (Pool Photo via AP/Adek Berry)
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rosecutors have stated they will prove the criminal intent of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's alleged blasphemous remarks, which he made to Thousand Islands residents during a late-September visit, in the subsequent hearings of the non-active governor’s trial.
“We will prove Ahok's intention [to commit blasphemy] as stipulated under article 156 and 156a of the Criminal Code when we present our evidence against the defendant to the court," prosecutor Ali Mukartono said in the trial's second hearing on Tuesday. Today’s hearing heard the prosecutors' response to Ahok's exception conveyed in his first hearing on Dec. 13.
In response to the governor’s exception, Ali said Ahok’s remarks to Thousand Islands residents, in which he cited Surah Al Maidah 51, was irrelevant to the agenda of the visit conducted in his capacity as Jakarta governor.
(Read also: Ahok’s remarks must be evaluated in overall context: Prosecutors)
Ali said the prosecution team believed that Ahok, as a Christian governor who had already been registered as gubernatorial candidate by that time, had intentionally mentioned the Quranic verse in attempt to secure the constituency’s votes, given most of Thousand Islands’ residents were Muslim.
“We shall pay attention to the series of events [leading up to the remarks]. We can't separate his intention to use Surah Al Maidah 51 as a tool to deceive and fool residents in a bid to secure [votes for] the election," he said.
Ali added that even though Ahok denied he had insulted the Quran and ulemas, it could still be proven he committed blasphemy.
On Dec. 13, Ahok conveyed his exception with tears, saying that he never had any intention to insult Islam, the Quran and ulemas. He also stressed that he always had a harmonious relationship with Muslims. (ebf)
