Jokowi's Legal Team Requests Open Trial for Diploma Case

The legal representative for Indonesia’s 7th President Joko Widodo, Firman Pangaribuan, has expressed his hope that the trial for the defendants in the alleged fake diploma case will be conducted openly. He stated that this is necessary to correct information that has widely deviated from the facts in the public sphere. “We also hope this can be broadcast properly, because the reason is to make things clear, as it has been repeatedly claimed that the diploma is fake, and Mr Jokowi is accused of wanting to imprison people,” Firman said on CNN Indonesia’s Head to Head programme on Wednesday (1/7). He also encouraged that the trial be open to the public when Jokowi attends as a witness. “And we encourage the panel of judges to do that,” he said. The case of alleged defamation and slander regarding the authenticity of Jokowi’s diploma has now entered the trial stage. The first hearing for Doctor Tifa is scheduled to take place at the East Jakarta District Court on Thursday (2/7), with the panel of judges led by Christina Endarwati. Meanwhile, the case involving Roy Suryo cannot yet proceed to trial as it is still awaiting a pre-trial process at the South Jakarta District Court.