"We see this act as an effort to criminalize the ulemas and to silence community leaders, as well as community members," he told a press conference held at his residence in South Jakarta on Wednesday.
PrabowPrabowo said he was concerned with the move of the police to start summoning several figures who consistently supported the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno pair in the recent presidential elections.
"UBN is named a suspect by the National Police in connection with a case that occurred in 2017," he said, adding that none of the crime components were found in the alleged money laundering case.
Known as one of the central figures of the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council's Fatwa (GNPF-MUI), UBN had been summoned by the police in 2017 for an alleged money laundering case involving the Justice For All Foundation.
At that time, UBN confirmed that the GNPF held a fundraiser for the 212 rally among Muslims by collaborating with the Justice for All Foundation (Jawa Pos, Feb 10, 2017).
Prabowo Subianto said this old case was re-opened by the police after UBN and several hundred ulemas came together for a meeting held for the third time, or termed "Ijtima Ulama III," in Sentul, Bogor, West Java, on May 1.
The "Ijtima Ulama III" meeting was held to respond to allegedly electoral irregularities. The participating ulemas issued five recommendations. One of the recommendations underscored the ulemas' beliefs of structured, systematic, and massive electoral fraud during the recently concluded presidential elections.
To this end, the ulemas have appealed to the Prabowo-Sandi pair's National Winning Body to adopt the necessary legal and procedural measures.
The democracy and state's constitution has guaranteed the rights of every individual to express their views and perspectives. "This is the most fundamental right in the life of democracy," he said.
Therefore, Prabowo said he keeps calling on the authorities in the country to re-examine and review the measures that had been taken in connection with the UBN case. "UBN is definitely innocent," he said.
Translator: Susylo A, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Gusti Nur Cahya Aryani
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
