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Government denies tapping SBY's call with Muslim leader
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Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Ma'ruf Amin (center) attends a hearing on Jan. 31 of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's blasphemy trial. (Sindo/POOL/Isra Triansyah)
T
he government denied on Thursday it had any involvement in the alleged illegal tapping of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's phone call with Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Ma'ruf Amin.
Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration could not conduct any tapping intervention except to enforce the law.
"[Tapping can only be conducted by] the Corruption Eradication Commission, the National Police or the Attorney General in relation to law enforcement," Yasonna told reporters.
(Read also: SBY calls for investigation into alleged "Watergate" scandal involving Ahok)
Previously, Yudhoyono called on the police to begin a criminal investigation into the alleged illegal tapping, which he claimed was as “nasty as the Watergate scandal”.
The minister responded to Yudhoyono's call to Jokowi to step in if it was proven that the ex-president's conversation with the senior Muslim cleric was tapped by or with the help of law enforcers.
In a hearing at the North Jakarta District Court on Tuesday, Ahok’s legal team accused Ma’ruf of bias in issuing a fatwa, alleging that the Jakarta governor had committed blasphemy, after receiving the phone call from Yudhoyono. (dan)
