Aberson's lawyers threaten to leave the courtroom<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers of a legislator facing trial for
\nallegedly defaming President Soeharto said yesterday they would
\nleave the courtroom if videotapes were presented as evidence.<\/p>\n
Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan, one of the lawyers, told the Central
\nJakarta District Court that videotapes of a speech by legislator
\nAberson Marle Sihaloho during an Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI) free speech forum last year were illegal and should not be
\naccepted as evidence.<\/p>\n
He said police witnesses had testified that they took the
\npictures without permission from the forum organizer, and
\nsubmitted them to a superior without any supporting information.<\/p>\n
\"By editing, the voice in the tapes could be dubbed, so we
\nquestion their accuracy,\" Luhut said.<\/p>\n
Aberson, a member of the House of Representatives from the PDI
\nfaction is being tried for a speech he gave on July 13, 1996, at
\nthe party's headquarters.<\/p>\n
The free speech forum was organized by supporters of Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, the ousted leader of the PDI, to oppose a June
\ncongress in Medan which placed Soerjadi as the new party leader.<\/p>\n
In yesterday's session, presiding judge Suhardjo rejected
\nLuhut's statement and said he would view the tapes at the next
\ntrial session, next week.<\/p>\n
\"Why don't we hear the cassettes first, and if you feel there
\nis some impropriety you can argue over it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Luhut said he was afraid the tapes would influence the court's
\nproceedings if they were played.<\/p>\n
\"We will waste our time if we listen to something illegal,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Luhut said that lawyers representing Aberson would not be
\npresent in the court if the tapes were played.<\/p>\n
The judge said the trial would go on without them.<\/p>\n
Earlier, legal expert Harun Al Rasyid and PDI legislator Sabam
\nSirait gave their testimonies for Aberson's trial.<\/p>\n
Sabam said the free speech forum was based on an agreement
\nbetween the party's executive board and chief of the Jakarta
\nRegional Military Command Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
\"The forum was held with the government's consent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sabam said that during a hearing between the House and the
\nArmed Forces, he had warned the Armed Forces Chief, Gen. Feisal
\nTanjung, not to attend the Medan congress because it was illegal.<\/p>\n
\"As a member of the House and one of the PDI founders, I said
\nthe congress was against the party's statute and I urged him not
\nto go,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sabam said the party statute stipulates that the next
\nmandatory congress is to be held in 1998.<\/p>\n
Sabam asked Aberson to deliver a speech on the state budget to
\nmeet the attendants' request.<\/p>\n
Chiefs of the Central and South Jakarta District Court said
\nthe subversion trials of the Democratic People's Party (PRD)
\nwould continue during the election campaign from April 27 to May
\n23.<\/p>\n
Under Indonesian law, rallies are banned during the election
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
Chief of the Central Jakarta District Court, I.G.K. Sukarata,
\nsaid it was a difficult decision because if the trials were
\nadjourned until after the May 29 election, people would speculate
\non what was wrong. \"But if we continue the trials, we are afraid
\nthey will attract crowds which may provoke chaos,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Chief of the South Jakarta District Court, Burhan Husein Putra
\nDjaya, said he was never instructed to postpone the trials during
\nthe campaign period. (05)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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