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Suspected disrupter of Ahok-Djarot campaign insists innocence
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Upbeat: Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat (center) takes a picture with local residents during a campaign visit to Tegal Alur, Kalideres, Jakarta, on Dec. 7. (Antara/Lucky R.)
N
aman Sanip, 52, a man suspected of having disrupted a campaign visit by Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Sjaiful Hidayat, the running mate of incumbent gubernatorial candidate Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, maintained his innocence during his trial, which resumed at the West Jakarta District Court on Thursday.
The court’s panel of judges commenced Naman’s trial after it rejected the exceptions he raised in the previous hearing on Wednesday.
In Wednesday’s hearing, Naman, a resident of Kembangan, West Jakarta, read out three points of exception. In one of the points, the chicken porridge vendor stated he came to the venue of Djarot’s campaign event in Kembangan in mid-November simply to exercise his civil rights to express his opinion on blasphemy allegations against Ahok. He did not have the aim of disrupting Djarot’s campaign as what prosecutors had accused him of, he claimed.
“The court decided, first, to reject the [points of] exception raised by the defendant. Second, to order the prosecutors to continue his trial,” presiding judge Masrizal said as quoted by kompas.com, after hearing Naman’s explanations in Thursday’s hearing.
Naman has been charged of violating Article 187 of the 2016 Regional Elections Law on disturbing a campaign activity, which is punishable with up to six months behind bars.
As previously reported, an act of resistance took place during Djarot's campaign visit in Kembangan, West Jakarta, on Nov. 9
The Ahok-Djarot pair have met numerous rejections on their campaign trail in several parts across Jakarta after the governor was named a suspect in a blasphemy case on Nov. 16. (saf/ebf)
