Police Examine 17 Witnesses In As-Sunnah Islamic Boarding School Destruction Case

Head of Public Relations of the NTB Police, Kombes Artanto/ANTARA

MATARAM - A total of 17 witnesses underwent police investigation regarding the case of vandalizing a number of facilities at the As-Sunnah Islamic Boarding School, Bagek Nyaka, East Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara.

"Currently, there are still 17 witnesses whose statements have been taken," said Head of Public Relations of the NTB Police, Kombes Artanto in Mataram, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, January 5.

The witness who was being questioned was a resident who was present and witnessed the destruction action firsthand.

"The witnesses being examined are those who were at the scene when the incident (the vandalism) took place," he said.

Furthermore, he said, the statements of the witnesses will be adjusted according to the results of the crime scene (TKP) and the evidence found.

"So everything is still in our handling process," he said.

The destruction of a number of As-Sunnah Islamic Boarding School facilities, in Bagek Nyaka, Aikmel District, East Lombok Regency, which occurred on Sunday, January 2 in the morning, was allegedly the work of an unknown group of people.

Reportedly, the incident was a reaction triggered by a short 19-second video clip showing Ustaz Mizan Qudsiah's lecture from the As-Sunnah Islamic Boarding School allegedly discrediting the sacred tombs of the ancestors on the island of Lombok.

Artanto conveyed that the current situation at the As-Sunnah Islamic Boarding School, Bagek Nyaka, was monitored to be conducive. His party through personnel from the East Lombok Police and the NTB Police Mobile Brigade Unit were also on standby to secure the location.

"Because the TKP currently has a Quo status, the East Lombok Police and Brimob conduct security at the location. The current condition of Islamic boarding school activities has been running smoothly and is still being monitored conducive," he said.