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Ahok's camp prepares defense witnesses to face defamation case
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A spokesman of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama's campaign team, Ruhut Sitompul (front), speaks to journalists while the governor and his lawyer listen after Ahok was questioned by police investigators on Monday. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A.)
T
he legal team of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has prepared defense witnesses to face the accusation that he committed religious defamation.
"We have prepared factual witnesses as well as religious experts, linguists and criminal law experts," said Ahok's lawyer Sirra Prayuna at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) in Jakarta on Monday.
The testimonies from those witnesses will be crucial to reveal the facts of this case, especially to see whether there was a criminal aspect to Ahok's speech citing a Quranic verse on Sept. 27 during his visit to the Thousand Islands regency.
Police investigators questioned Ahok on Monday as a witness related to reports several organizations made to the police against the governor, accusing him of defaming the Quran. It was Ahok's second interrogation session since on Oct. 24 he voluntary went to the Barekrim office for questioning.
So far, the police have questioned 22 witnesses, including religious experts, Jakarta city administration officials and residents of the Thousand Islands regency who attended the event in which the governor spoke about Surah al Maidah, Verse 51, of the Quran. (bbn)
