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Police confiscate FPI leader's phone
The Jakarta Police have confiscated a cell phone belonging to firebrand Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab.
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Rizieq Shihab (wearing white robe) leads a rally in Jakarta on Feb. 21. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
The Jakarta Police have confiscated a cell phone belonging to firebrand Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab.
The confiscation of the phone took place in relation to the police’s investigation into pornographic conversations that allegedly occurred between Rizieq and Firza Husein, a treason suspect. The steamy chats leaked onto the internet earlier this year.
The leaked material was uploaded onto the now-blocked website baladacintarizieq.com.
Screenshots of the chats display saucy, sinful, sensational messages and nude pictures.
A voice message allegedly containing Firza’s voice was also uploaded.
The phone was not taken from Rizieq himself but from Muchsin Alatas, head of the FPI Jakarta branch, said Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono.
"[The police got the phone] from someone else. From Muchsin," Argo said as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com on Tuesday, adding that the phone was not given to them voluntarily.
The investigators, he said, found messages containing "intense things" between Rizieq and Firza on the phone. However, he refused to disclose the content.
"We will reveal it all during [their] trial," he said.
The police detained Firza last February and searched her house in Lubang Buaya, East Jakarta, to obtain evidence regarding the case. Firza was later released.
Firza, Rizieq, Rizieq’s wife and a friend of Firza's were summoned again last Tuesday for questioning. However, none of them showed up. (dea)
