JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesian national police on Wednesday named the Christian and ethnic Chinese governor of Jakarta a suspect in an alleged blasphemy case brought against him by Muslim groups.
Ari Dono Sukmanto, chief of the National Police criminal investigation department, said Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama should not be allowed to leave the country during the investigation.
“Even though there was no consensus, the dominant opinion is that this case should be settled in court,” Sukmanto told reporters after an initial police investigation.
Muslim groups, led by hardliners, have demanded the resignation of Purnama over claims he insulted the Koran.
(Reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe and Gayatri Suroyo; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
