TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Police have questioned FPI leader Rizieq Syihab in relation to an allegation of smartphone chats containing pornographic materials. National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said that the questioning was conducted in Saudi Arabia.
“A team has been sent [to Saudi Arabia] to question the concerned individual as a witness,” Tito said at the Jakarta Police today, August 18.
Tito added that the results of the questioning will be evaluated. Police will conduct another questioning after Rizieq Syihab returns home.
However, Tito did not explain in which case the questioning was conducted. To this date, the Islamic Defender Front (FPI) has been linked to a number of cases, including the steamy phone chats.
Rizieq has been named as a suspect in the case after a smartphone conversation, which allegedly took place between him and Firza Husen, went viral. Firza has also been named as a suspect in the same case.
Rizieq will be charged with Article 4 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 29 and or Article 6 in conjunction with Article 32 and/or Article 9 in conjunction with Article 35 of Law No. 44/2008 on pornography. He is facing at least a five-year jail term.
The National Police is also investigating a hate speech case involving Rizieq. In West Java, the FPI leader was entangled with a case related to insults against Sundanese culture and state ideology Pancasila.
To this date, Rizieq Syihab has not yet returned from Saudi Arabia. He planned to return home several times, but the plans were canceled.
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