JP\/5\/EDWIN<\/p>\n
Court rejects appeal by PTDI executive<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Bandung<\/p>\n
President director of aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia
\n(PTDI), Edwin Soedarmo, could no longer escape justice after his
\nappeal was turned down by the Bandung District Court on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The appeal was a last ditch effort by Edwin, who was earlier
\nsentenced by the same court to two months in jail for negligence
\nin January this year. Following the verdict at the lower court,
\nEdwin filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to fight the
\nverdict, but the appeal was rejected because the Supreme Court
\nwill not rule on a case in which a defendant is sentenced to less
\nthan a year in jail. The case was, however, sent back to the
\ndistrict court for a decision on the appeal, which it rejected.<\/p>\n
"The district court rejected the appeal on the grounds that
\nthe defendant had been proven guilty of disobeying orders from
\nthe Committee for the Settlement of Labor Disputes," said judge
\nMarni Mustafa while reading the verdict. The second reason, the
\njudge added, was because the defendant never appeared in court,
\nwhich showed disrespect.<\/p>\n
Soon after the decision was read out, some 800 former workers
\nat the aircraft company cheered and hugged each other to express
\ntheir joy over the verdict.<\/p>\n
The prolonged dispute began on Jan. 14 this year after the
\ndistrict court sentenced the president director for failing to
\nobey an order from the Committee for the Settlement of the Labor
\nDisputes, which instructed Edwin to pay severance pay to
\nthousands of former PTDI workers, totaling approximately Rp 400
\nbillion (US$40.8 million). However, the company never paid the
\nmoney as ordered by the committee, which led the workers to
\nreport Edwin to the legal authorities.<\/p>\n
Over 6,500 PTDI workers were laid off last year due to the
\ncompany's financial troubles, which triggered a prolonged labor
\ndispute. More than 5,700 workers accepted the layoff, while the
\nremaining 800 workers rejected it and filed an appeal with the
\nSupreme Court.<\/p>\n
With the verdict by the Bandung District Court, it is up to
\nthe police and prosecutor's office to execute the verdict.<\/p>\n
Secretary to PTDI, Mohtar Syarief, said that the verdict was
\nunfair. The district court should not have been able to come to a
\nverdict in the absence of the defendant, he argued.<\/p>",
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