Sentencing Recommendation Adjourned in Ahok`s Blasphemy Trial
11 April 2017 12:42 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The panel of judges has adjourned the blasphemy trial against defendant inactive Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok as public prosecutors have yet to prepare a sentencing recommendation.
“We have tried our best; a week is not enough for us [to prepare the recommendation]. We deeply apologize; we request for more time to read aloud the sentencing recommendation, but we will not read it out today,” public prosecutor Ali Mukartono said in the blasphemy trial at the Agriculture Ministry building in Ragunan, South Jakarta, on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
Having been ordered to prepare the sentencing recommendation for today’s trial session, Ali said that the prosecutors were unable to do so. “We are asking for two more weeks if we may.”
The request was turned down by the panel of judges presided over by Dwiarso Budi Santiarto.
“Will you [the prosecutors] be ready on the 17th [April]? That’s all; [you] have to be firm. It’s okay if [you] are not ready; after all, the sentencing recommendation is a requirement. We will make a decision afterward; don’t let it prejudice the defense,” Dwiarso said.
Basuki alias Ahok has been charged with blasphemy for making a reference to the surah al-Maidah verse 51 of the Quran on the Seribu Islands Sub-district, Jakarta, on September last year.
YOHANES PASKALIS