ormer Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who is currently serving a two-year prison term for blasphemy, has said that he would address the rumors surrounding his plan to marry a police officer after he was released.
“Regarding the news published recently, BTP [Ahok] says that he will provide a direct answer after he is released,” reads a message posted by Ahok’s team on his official Instagram account @basukitbtp.
Ahok is being detained at the National Police’s Mobile Brigade headquarters (Mako Brimob) in Depok, West Java.
The post adds that the former governor has not changed and remains “a man of faith who obeys the Constitution.”
“BTP is currently learning to be a better person for himself, his family and society.”
Ahok has recently divorced from his wife of 20 years, Veronica Tan.
News of his second marriage was first published by Hong Kong-based news website Asia Times on Sept. 4.
Jakarta Legislative Council Speaker Prasetio Edi Marsudi said he had heard that Ahok would remarry after completing his prison sentence.
“What’s wrong with having a future wife? A man needs a spouse,” he said on Friday as reported by tempo.co.
Ahok was sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy in May last year. After receiving several sentence cuts, he is scheduled to be released in January. (gis)
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