Jakarta Police to Summon FPI’s Rizieq Following Mecca Pilgrimage
Jakarta. Jakarta Police will issue a summons to firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab regarding his alleged involvement in a pornographic texting scandal following his return from a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Rizieq, leader of the hardline group Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), skipped a similar summons from police late last month.
"We will check with our investigators, but [Rizieq] is still on his pilgrimage. We will wait [until his return], and then coordinate our next summons," Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono said on Tuesday (02/05).
Argo said only police investigators are privy to the content of the questions planned for Rizieq.
"The investigators [...] have the complete materials. The most important issue for us is to summon witnesses. It is our investigators who know whether [the witnesses] will be summoned as a group or individually. We will just have to wait for their decision," he said.
Meanwhile, Rizieq’s lawyer, Sugito Atmo Prawiro, confirmed that his client will finally submit to police questioning upon his return from Mecca.
"Because he is a good citizen, Rizieq will comply with the summons. However, he wants to see the actual questions beforehand, as is [Rizieq's] right within our legal system," Sugito said.
"If the questions are exaggerated, we will protest. His attendance, hopefully, will not be a problem. We will adhere to the process accordingly," he said.
Sugito also said he has yet to receive Rizieq's summons request from Jakarta Police.
"We do not know when the summons will take place [...] the request should be sent three days prior to the day of questioning. We have not received it yet, nor do we know when [Rizieq] will be questioned."
Rizieq was previously reported to police for allegedly violating the 2008 Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) law by exchanging pornographic material with his supposed girlfriend, Firza Husein, over the popular messaging service WhatsApp.
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