Permadi's trial begins this month<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The trial of controversial mystic Permadi Satrio
\nWiwoho, accused of insulting Islam, will begin in Sleman,
\nYogyakarta, at the end of this month, says one of his lawyers.<\/p>\n
\"The head of the Sleman District Court told me yesterday that
\nPermadi's trial would begin at the end of this month,\" Ramdlon
\nNaning, one of Permadi's lawyers, told The Jakarta Post by phone
\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
However, the court has not yet decided which judges will be
\nassigned to the trial, which is expected to draw huge public and
\npress attention, Ramdlon said.<\/p>\n
The other lawyers representing Permadi are Trimoelja D.
\nSoerjadi, H.M. Dault, Tumbu Saraswati, and Sri Rahayu.<\/p>\n
Permadi, who has been in detention since March 19, was charged
\nwith insulting Islam earlier this year over comments he allegedly
\nmade in March 1994 at a seminar at Gadjah Mada University in
\nYogyakarta. He stands accused of describing the Prophet Muhammad
\nas a \"dictator\" during the seminar.<\/p>\n
The allegations have been denied by Permadi, who has said the
\nrelevant statement, made in response to a question from the floor
\nduring the question-and-answer session, were not intended to give
\noffense to Moslems.<\/p>\n
Several participants at the seminar have told police that
\nPermadi went on to describe Prophet Muhammad as \"a good
\ndictator\".<\/p>\n
Permadi, who heads the Association of Indonesian Paranormals,
\nis currently being detained at the Wirogunan prison in
\nYogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Ramdlon said the Sleman Prosecutor's Office had submitted
\nPermadi's dossiers to the Sleman District Court on Thursday and
\nthat he had received a copy of the documents on Friday.<\/p>\n
Police investigators have reportedly said that they would
\ncharge Permadi under article 156(a) of the Criminal Code,
\nconcerning blasphemy, which carries a maximum penalty of five
\nyears imprisonment.<\/p>\n
Ramdlon said that the Sleman prosecutor's office had assigned
\nDony Kadnezar, Juwito Pengasuh, and Syaifuddin Tagamal to be the
\nprosecutors at the trial.<\/p>\n
He said that his client was in good health and was spending
\nhis time in the prison reading books and newspapers and mingling
\nwith the other inmates.<\/p>\n
According to the lawyer, Permadi's wife and four children, who
\nreside in Jakarta, visit the mystic at least once every two
\nweeks.<\/p>\n
He said that several prominent public figures, including
\nformer Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin, lawyer Adnan Buyung
\nNasution, human rights activist Todung Mulya Lubis, and
\nhumorologist Jaya Suprana, had visited his client.<\/p>\n
Permadi is also in trouble for allegedly making remarks in
\nwhich he suggested that the Ministry of Religious Affairs had
\nembezzled enormous amounts of money from would-be haj pilgrims.
\nMinister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher has hinted that he
\nalso intends to sue Permadi over the matter.<\/p>\n
The ruling Golkar party is also planning to sue the mystic.
\nGolkar alleges that Permadi likened it to the outlawed Indonesian
\nCommunist Party during a seminar. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/permadis-trial-begins-this-month-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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