Gus Dur loses defamation suit<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta District Court fined former
\npresident Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid Rp 500 million on Monday
\nfor damaging the reputation of the former secretary general of
\nthe now defunct forestry and plantations ministry.<\/p>\n
The fine was much less than demanded by the plaintiff,
\nSoeripto, who had earlier asked for Rp 3.75 billion in damages.<\/p>\n
Presiding Judge Amirudin Zakaria said in the verdict that Gus
\nDur had been careless with what he had said, which had resulted
\nin defamation. Wahid was found to have violated the \"principles
\nof carefulness.\"<\/p>\n
The three-member panel of judges comprising Amirudin, I Gde
\nPutu and H. Andi Samsan, also ordered Wahid to pay Rp 299,000 in
\ncourt fees,Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Soeripto sued Gus Dur when the latter was still in office as
\nhe had asked the then minister of forestry and plantations to
\ndismiss Soeripto because Soeripto had tried to oust Gus Dur from
\nthe presidential seat. Wahid had accused Soeripto of conspiracy
\nwith the former Kopassus (Army's special force) chief, Maj.Gen.
\nMuchdi PR in a meeting at Hotel Kempinski, Soeripto said.<\/p>\n
Soeripto was also accused of working with the military to
\nsmuggle timber using the ministry's helicopters.<\/p>\n
Wahid, who was ousted last July for incompetence, dismissed
\nSoeripto in March. The former president had even alleged then
\nthat Soeripto had aided in the escape of the fugitive, Hutomo
\n\"Tommy\" Mandala Putra.<\/p>\n
Wahid's lawyer Nien R. Aryono from the Attorney General's
\nOffice, said that she would appeal.<\/p>\n
Nien said he regretted that the judges did not put into
\nconsideration the fact that Wahid had intended to make an
\napology. According to the lawyer, Wahid once proposed to meet
\nSoeripto to convey his apologies, but the latter refused.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Soeripto's lawyer Masiga Bugis accepted the
\njudgement even though he said that he was not fully satisfied
\nbecause the judges had turned down the plaintiff's request to
\norder Gus Dur to make a public apology in the mass media.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-loses-defamation-suit-1447893297",
"image": ""
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