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Kalla urges continuation of Ahok’s blasphemy case
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Vice President Jusuf Kalla reacts during an event celebrating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on Dec. 24, 2015 (File/ JP/Dimar Budi Adi Prasetya)
V
ice President Jusuf Kala has said that incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama should undergo the whole legal process he would have to bear after the police named the governor a suspect of blasphemy on Wednesday.
“Ahok should undergo [the whole process], because he has promised to do so. He is a suspect, right? Not necessarily proven guilty,” Kalla said Wednesday in Jakarta after opening the International Business Integrity Conference (IBIC) held by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent in the predominantly Muslim country, sparked uproar among several Muslim groups that led to a massive Nov. 4 rally in Jakarta with comments on Quranic verses during a visit to Thousand Islands regency in late September.
On Tuesday, investigators from the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department heard testimony from dozens of witnesses and experts in a 10-hour closed-door case screening and played the section in question of Ahok’s recorded speech.
Many believe the blasphemy case is part of political maneuvers by some parties to disqualify Ahok and his running mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat from participation in next year’s gubernatorial election, where they seek to defend their positions. They are running against two other candidate pairs, Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono-Sylviana Murni. (fac)
