T

he Jakarta Police announced on Wednesday that they planned to question cleric Habib Hasan Assegaf on Thursday morning regarding sexual abuse allegations made against him.

“We sent the first summons to him on Monday and expect him to come to our headquarters by Thursday at the latest,” police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto told reporters. Police investigators were scheduled to question Hasan at 10 a.m.

“He is still a witness in the case up to this point. We are yet to name him as suspect,” Rikwanto said.

Habib Hasan’s name was thrust into the national limelight earlier this year after reports sprang up on online forums and social media websites alleging that he had sexually abused underage boys.

He has allegedly been committing such indecent acts for six years. The case sparked a nationwide media furor, with many local media outlets dubbing Hasan “the lecherous cleric”.

The online reports stated that the alleged abuse took place in Kampung Kandang in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, where Hasan had set up his own Islamic congregation, named Nurul Musthofa.

The study group is among the largest in the capital and often blocks stretches of roads to hold sermons in public places, which causes severe traffic congestion.

According to the reports, the families of the alleged victims — aged between 14 and 19 when the abuse took place — had reported the case to the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and the Islam Defenders Front (FPI).

Hasan allegedly confessed to the abuse in front of the victims’ parents in mid-November last year, reportedly saying that his actions were in the name of his “holy guardianship”.

So far, 13 victims have reported Hasan for sexual abuse to the police. The last two victims came to the police headquarters on Tuesday, reporting that they were sexually abused by Hasan sometime in 2010.

Rikwanto said that if Hasan chose not to come to the police’s headquarters for questioning on Thursday, the police would send him a second summons.

“If he doesn’t show up after two summons, then we will take him by force in line with the procedures,” he said.

The victims filed reports with the Jakarta Police last December. Besides filing a report with the police, the victims also filed reports with the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI).

Following the report, the KPAI summoned the cleric on Feb. 13 but he failed to appear.

Hasan is known to have close ties to Islam Defenders Front (FPI) chief patron Habib Rizieq Shihab. The FPI is a hard-line group notorious for its violent crackdowns on nightclubs and massage parlors that it deems sinful places.

Habib is an honorific title for the descendants of Prophet Muhammad. In Indonesia, the title is commonly used by clerics of Yemeni descent.

— JP/Iman Mahditama