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Prosecutors postpone reading of sentence demand against Ahok
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Jakarta Governor Basuki Thajaja Purnama (left) consults his lawyer during his hearing at the North Jakarta District Court on Tuesday. (Republika/POOL/Raisan Al Farisi via JP)
P
rosecutors postponed the reading of the sentence demand against Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama until April 20, a day after the runoff, saying they have not yet finished typing the demand.
"We've tried our best but one week is not enough for us to make the demand. We apologize that we can't read out the sentence demand today," prosecutor Ali Mukartono said during a hearing Tuesday.
The prosecutors were scheduled to read their sentence demand against Ahok on April 11, while the defendant was scheduled to read out his defense statement on April 17.
The presiding judge Dwiarso Budi Santiarto then offered the prosecutors to read their demand on April 17.
Ali responded to the judges' suggestion by asking them to consider the Jakarta Police chief's letter to the North Jakarta district court dated April 4 that suggested that the court postpone the hearing until the Jakarta gubernatorial election on April 19 due to security reasons.
Ali added that the prosecutors needed another two weeks to make the sentence demand.
Judges said that the proposed postponement would disturb the hearing schedule as well as the judges' schedule.
It would also reduce the time for the lawyers to make their defense.
One of Ahok's lawyers said that the postponement would disadvantage the defendant.
He then suggested that the prosecutors read out their sentence demands on April 20 so the lawyers could deliver their defenses on April 25.
The judge adjourned the hearing until April 20.
