I should not comment further on Ahok`s case. Let the police handle it."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim called on the people to await the legal process of Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnamas (Ahok) blasphemy case patiently.

"We should monitor the legal process," Lukman Hakim said here on Tuesday.

The minister urged people to entrust the law enforcement agencies to resolve the case.

"The police is investigating the alleged blasphemy case against Ahok transparently," the minister said.

The minister rejected to talk further about the case.

"I should not comment further on Ahoks case. Let the police handle it," the minister said.

President Joko Widodo earlier said that the deliberations into the alleged case of blasphemy involving Ahok would be made open to the public to prevent suspicion or prejudice.

"Yesterday, I indeed asked for opening the deliberation, so that there will be no suspicion," he said after reviewing the progress of a toll road project in Pondok Kelapa, Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, on Monday.

He had ordered the Indonesian police chief, General Tito Karnavian, to open the case deliberations to the public, he said.

"Of course, it must be examined to ensure whether it is allowed by the law," he said.

"He (the president) has ordered me to process the alleged blasphemy case swiftly and transparently," Karnavian said after meeting the president on Saturday evening.

"The president ordered opening the deliberation to the public and media coverage," he said.

By making deliberations open to the public and allowing the media to cover it live, the public is expected to see how transparent the process is, he said.

The legal status of Ahok would be determined within the next two weeks, according to the police.
(Uu.A063/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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