TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Blasphemy case defendant Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok will once again stand trial today at Agriculture Ministry Auditorium. In the previous hearing, public prosecutors (JPU) brought four witnesses.

Ahok said that there was no special preparation ahead of today’s trial despite the fact that prosecutors will bring five witnesses.

Even though today’s hearing may last longer than the previous one that only lasted eight hours, Ahok said that he is relaxed.

“It could last longer, yes. There will be five witnesses, more [than in the previous hearing]. My lawyers are well-prepared,” he said after attending an event on a book titled ‘A Man Called Ahok’ in Senopati, South Jakarta, Monday, January 9, 2017.

The head of Ahok’s lawyer team Trimoelja D. Soerjadi said that he has a special strategy. Trimoelja said that he will question witnesses’ credibility since they did not hear, see and was not present at the scene.

On September 26, Ahok gave a speech and made a reference to surah al-Maida, verse 51 of the Quran during his visit to Pramuka Island on the Seribu Islands. Many consider the speech is blasphemous.

"Witnesses are those who see, hear, and experience the incident. There are no Seribu Islands inhabitants among the plaintiffs,” he said.

LARISSA HUDA | CHITRA PARAMAESTI