Habib Rizieq, the leader of the Islamic Defenders Front and the main figurehead behind the movement to have Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama thrown in jail for allegedly insulting Islam, was today officially named a criminal suspect by the West Java Police for insulting the state ideology of Pancasila and founding father Sukarno.
(It’s probably the one piece of news that could almost shift attention away from the shocking sex scandals rumors about the FPI leader that went viral yesterday. Almost.)
The head spokesperson for the West Java Police, Yusri Yunus, said Rizieq was officially named a suspect after a final witness examination into the case was conducted today.
“Due to the witness testimony against Rizieq Shihab, we have elevated (his legal status) to suspect,” Yusri said during a press conference in the West Java Police Headquarters in Bandung this afternoon as quoted by Kompas.
Rizieq was reported to the National Police’s Crime Investigation Unit in October for insulting Pancasila and its main author, Sukarno, by one of Sukarno’s own daughters, Sukmawati Soekarnoputri. The report was based on statements Rizieq had made about two years prior during a sermon in West Java in which he supposedly said, “In Sukarno’s Pancasila, God is located in the ass, whereas in the Jakarta charter of Pancasila, God is in the head.”
Specifically, Rizieq has been named a suspect for violating Article 154 of the Criminal Code pertaining to the Desecration of State Emblems and Article 320 regarding the Defamation of Deceased Persons. Police said they have interviewed 18 witnesses in the case and have gathered enough evidence to prove that Rizieq has violated both statutes.
An FPI spokesperson told Detik that the organization’s legal counsel was still considering how to respond to Rizieq’s suspect status.
The West Java Police said they will call Rizieq in for questioning as a suspect next week. Based on empirical evidence, we suspect that his FPI cohorts will not allow his questioning to take place without incident.
Police are also still currently investigating reports that Rizieq blasphemed Christianity and spread misinformation about communist symbols on the rupiah.
