BPS head named suspect

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Police declared head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in Alor regency, identified only as CAM, as a suspect for alleged defamation of the Holy Koran, a police official said on Monday.

He was being held responsible for the publication of a book entitled Alor Regency People 2003, with its cover showing a Cakalele dancer standing on a book that looks like the Koran.

Alor police chief, Adj. Sr. Comr. Marsudi Wahyono, said CAM was named suspect based on certain unspecified evidence. Police were planning to ask expert witness from the Ministry of Religious Affairs to examine the book's cover.

"The book was printed in limited numbers; only 20 copies," Marsudi said, adding that the police had taken most copies of the book out of circulation.

East Nusa Tenggara's Indonesian Council of Ulemas earlier urged the statistics agency to withdraw the book that has allegedly "disgraced" the Koran following a massive protest by hundreds of Muslims in the regency last week. -- JP