Ministry testifies in magazine case<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A Ministry of Information witness testified in
\ncourt yesterday that the editorial board of an unlicensed
\nmagazine was responsible for its publication.<\/p>\n
Bambang Wahyudi, head of the publication permit section of the
\nministry, was testifying in a trial of a man charged with
\ndefaming President Soeharto by printing an unlicensed magazine,
\nSuara Independen.<\/p>\n
Bambang told the South Jakarta District Court that the person
\nwho ordered the printing of the magazine was responsible for its
\npublication because it did not carry a masthead listing members
\nof the editorial board.<\/p>\n
Answering judges Marsel Bukhori and Hasan Wahyudin about who
\nwas in charge of printing a magazine in such circumstances,
\nBambang said \"the man who gives the original order.\"<\/p>\n
The judges and prosecutor D. Munthe asked whether he meant the
\nperson who initiated the original order or the person who took
\nthe order to the printing shop. The witness said \"the latter\".<\/p>\n
Standing trial was Andi Syahputra, 32, who was arrested in
\nOctober for ordering the printing of Suara Independen which was
\nedited in Australia.<\/p>\n
He was arrested in October after police raided the printing
\nshop and confiscated copies of Suara Independen. The copies were
\nsubmitted to the court as material evidence.<\/p>\n
Defense lawyer Irianto asked the court about the legality of
\nthe seizure of the printed copies because the magazine was
\nincomplete and covers and several pages had not been printed.<\/p>\n
\"There might be a masthead listing the editorial board on the
\nunprinted pages,\" he said.<\/p>\n
When the defense lawyer questioned Bambang's claim that the
\nman responsible was the one who took the order to the printing
\nshop, the witness answered, \"the man or board that gave the first
\norder.\"<\/p>\n
Nuryanto, a print worker, who also testified yesterday, said
\nAndi, the defendant, ordered him to make films of the dummy
\nmagazine.<\/p>\n
\"I checked the films briefly but I did not pay attention,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Judge Hasan grumbled: \"You knew the contents of the magazine
\nbut you still made the films.\"<\/p>\n
The trial was adjourned until next week. (13)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ministry-testifies-in-magazine-case-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }