"Twelve people have been named suspects, and there is another arrested following further investigation, so the total number is 13 suspects," Senior Commissioner Awi Setiyono, spokesman of the Jakarta Metro Jaya Police said here, Sunday.
Initially, the North Jakarta police had detained 15 people allegedly involved in the looting and vandalism incidents in Penjaringan. Three of them, however, were later released.
The police are still looking for 16 people who are on the wanted list.
In the meantime, the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Jakarta Metro Jaya Police has released 10 people who had been detained during the November 4 rally in the National Monument area, for provoking violence during the massive peaceful rally.
Of the 10, seven were not proven of committing any crime, and three were suspected of committing violence but there were not enough proofs.
"So, the 10 people have been released," Awi Setiyono said.
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims staged a peaceful rally last Friday to protest against Jakarta Governor Tjahaja Basuki Purnamas alleged blasphemous statement concerning the Holy Quran.
The protestors coming from various regions across the country such as East Java, West Java, Central Java, South Kalimantan, and West Sumatra, were united in the rally to call for legal enforcement against the alleged blasphemy.
The Indonesian Police has said that an investigation regarding the alleged blasphemy case was still underway and asked Muslims to be patient.
Earlier, several ulemas (Islamic scholars), who coordinated the rally, said the protest would be peaceful and was not meant to be anti-Chinese or anti-non-Muslims, but was to demand for legal enforcement and justice.
They had asked the rallys participants to detain any outsiders trying to provoke violence during the rally and to hand the alleged provocateurs to the police.
In the meantime, on Saturday, police spokesman Inspector General Boy Rafli Amar said that the mini market looting in Penjaringan had nothing to do with the massive rally held by various Muslim groups.
The looting was a crime carried out by some people who were not part of the rally, he said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
