Reporter gets 4.5 months in jail over phony ID<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A journalist received a jail sentence yesterday
\nof four months and 15 days for faking a press identification card
\nto cover the general session of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) in March this year.<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta District Court presiding judge Rusdi As'ad
\nsaid Minsidi Suharta, 27, a stringer for Bandung Pos daily, was
\nproven guilty of forging the ID card one day before the general
\nsession.<\/p>\n
\"By faking the card, the defendant disturbed the general
\nsession and could have endangered state officials.\"<\/p>\n
He said Suharta was guilty of violating Article 263 (1) of the
\nCriminal Code on faking a document, which carries a maximum
\npunishment of six years in jail.<\/p>\n
Suharta superimposed his picture, name and employer on a card
\noriginally issued for Adhi Kurniawan from Ipphos photo agency, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He used the card to gain access to the Assembly building and
\nthe use of free media facilities, including a facsimile machine
\nand telephone provided by the committee, he said.<\/p>\n
He used the card for eight days before the forgery was
\ndiscovered. The general session lasted 11 days.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Sambara Hasbul earlier asked the court to sentence
\nthe father of a baby boy to seven months for the forgery.<\/p>\n
\"The defendant caused losses to the MPR public relations
\ndepartment because he used the media center facilities during the
\ngeneral session.\"<\/p>\n
He said he had yet to calculate total losses caused by the
\ndefendant's use of accredited media-only facilities.<\/p>\n
Both the prosecutor and the defendant accepted the judge's
\ndecision yesterday, although Suharta said he had mulled filing an
\nappeal.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, I wanted to appeal the decision but my family
\nforbade me,\" he said outside the court.<\/p>\n
Minus time served, he will be released from jail in two weeks.<\/p>\n
Suharta continues to maintain he was prosecuted because of his
\npolitical activities. He was an active member of the Pijar
\nIndonesia youth organization and a frequent participant in street
\ndemonstrations. (jun)<\/p>",
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