BPS head named suspect

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