South Jakarta court drops defamation case<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court decided on
\nMonday to dismiss a case against a woman charged with defamation
\nover her report of alleged bribery to the now defunct Joint
\nAnticorruption Team (TGPTPK).<\/p>\n
The panel of judges, which was presided over by Solbaiti
\nSesunan, stated that the charges against Maria Leonita Sri
\nChandra Harumi were "inaccurate and incorrect".<\/p>\n
"Therefore, the prosecutors' indictment is annulled for the
\nsake of justice," Solbaiti said before the court.<\/p>\n
She said that the indictment failed to accurately reveal the
\nlocation and time of the crime.<\/p>\n
According to Solbaiti, the indictment did not specify whether
\nthe alleged crime happened when the defendant filed a report on
\nJuly 17, 2000 with TGPTPK or prior to that date, when the
\ndefendant drafted her report in her home in Sunter Podomoro,
\nNorth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The panel of judges also rejected copies of documents which
\nwere submitted as evidence by the prosecutors, saying they were
\nnot valid.<\/p>\n
"Copies of documents cannot be used before the court to
\nsubstantiate dossiers," Solbaiti said.<\/p>\n
After the hearing, prosecutor Hudjali told reporters that he
\nwould discuss with his supervisor whether to appeal to a higher
\ncourt following the decision.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Maria expressed happiness over the court's
\ndecision.<\/p>\n
Iskandar Sonhadji, Maria's lawyer, hailed the judges. "They
\nhave integrity. This (decision) is a good start to combat
\ncorruption in the country," he said, expecting that the court
\nwould reopen a corruption case against Zainal Agus, a state
\nadministrative director at a Jakarta court.<\/p>\n
Maria was a witness in a bribery case against Zainal in the
\nsame court. He was tried in June for allegedly receiving Rp 100
\nmillion in bribes from Maria.<\/p>\n
According to her report to TGPTPK, Maria gave the money to
\nZainal to bribe the judges hearing her case against Edy Handoyo
\nafter Zainal claimed to have a good relationship with the judge
\nhandling the case, I Ketut Suraputra.<\/p>\n
The South Jakarta District Court dismissed Zainal's case on
\nthe grounds that the TGPTKP was dissolved on June 8, a week
\nbefore the trial started.<\/p>\n
Ironically, Maria went on trial for defamation after Edy
\nreported to the police that Maria had tarnished his reputation by
\nfiling a report with TGPTPK alleging his involvement in bribery.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/south-jakarta-court-drops-defamation-case-1447893297",
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