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Yudhoyono barking up wrong tree, Jokowi says
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (left) receives a book from Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri on the occasion of the latter's 70th birthday anniversary at the Ismail Marzuki theather in Jakarta on Jan. 23. (Antara/Rosa Panggabean)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has played down former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s accusation that the current government had illegally tapped his phone.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Yudhoyono questioned claims made by Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in court that he had complete evidence of a phone conversation proving that Yudhoyono had influenced Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Ma’ruf Amien’s decision to issue a fatwa declaring that Ahok had committed blasphemy.
Ahok, a close ally of Jokowi and the main rival of Yudhoyono’s son, Agus Harimurti, in the Jakarta election, is standing trial for blasphemy.
Yudhoyono has demanded that law enforcers launch an investigation into the tapping allegations. He has also asked Jokowi to take action if state institutions turn out to be the parties that did the eavesdropping.
(Read also: Jokowi’s inner circle prevents him from meeting me: SBY)
Jokowi said his predecessor had addressed the question to the wrong person. “The claims were made during a trial by Ahok and his team of lawyers. Why am I being dragged into the case? It is a court matter, and I have nothing to do with it,” Jokowi told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday.
Jokowi said that it was better for Yudhoyono to seek clarification from Ahok and his team of lawyers with regard to the tapping allegations.
“Please ask the person who made the claims,” Jokowi said. (ary)
