JAKARTA - Indonesian vigilante group Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) has enticed ex-members of disbanded Muslim hardline group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) to join them, and conducted army-like training for young recruits. They recruited the die-hard types from Garut, Sukabumi, Bogor to train in Megamendung to become laskar (paramilitary troops), said a senior government official who spoke on condition of anonymity. This is high militancy and calls for a prompt action.
FPI runs an Islamic boarding school in Megamendung, West Java province, in the cool breeze of the mountains in the famous Puncak area about 1 ½ hours drive from Jakarta. Garut, Sukabumi and Bogor - also in West Java - are among the strongholds of radicalism in Indonesia.
West Java police still go ahead with plan to question FPI leader 13th December 2020
Director of the West Java Police s General Crimes Directorate Sen.Coms.CH Patoppoi (ANTARA/HO-Humas Polda Jawa Barat)
The handling of the case goes on. On Monday (December 14, 2020), the West Java police investigators will coordinate with those from the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Bandung, W Java (ANTARA) - The West Java Police s General Crimes Directorate affirmed that it would still go ahead with its plan to interrogate Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Habib Rizieq Shihab though he has been detained by the Jakarta police over the case of health protocol breach.
Controversial Islamic cleric and leader of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) Rizieq Shihab was arrested on Saturday after undergoing questioning in a case pertaining to the alleged breaching of COVID-19 restrictions by staging several mass gatherings.
Police investigators questioned Rizieq on Saturday afternoon until past midnight before placing him in custody at one of the Jakarta Police’s detention centers for the next 20 days.
“This is to facilitate the investigation,” National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Argo Yuwono said as quoted from
kompas.com.
The Jakarta Police named Rizieq a suspect on Thursday for allegedly violating COVID-19 protocols by hosting events that pulled in thousands of people last month after his return from self-exile in Saudi Arabia.
Nearly a week after the fatal incident that killed six of his supporters, Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab voluntarily went to the Jakarta Police headquarters on Saturday to fulfill a police summons for questioning in a case in which he has been named a suspect for allegedly violating COVID-19 health protocols.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Cmr. Yusri Yunus said Rizieq had handed himself over to the police as they had not sent a summons to him on Saturday.
“He was afraid he would be arrested, so he came here. We did not summons him [today]. We warned that we would arrest him,” Yusri said as reported by
FPI leader Habib Rizieq Shihab respects legal process antaranews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from antaranews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.