Women reporting bribery case tried for defamation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A housewife appeared in court on Thursday on
\ncharges of defamation and falsifying a report of bribery which
\nimplicated Supreme Court justices, notaries public and National
\nLand Agency (BPN) officials.<\/p>\n
Maria Leonita Sri Chandra Harumi, 54, was tried at the South
\nJakarta District Court for her report on an alleged bribery case
\nfiled at the now-defunct Joint Anticorruption Team (TGPTPK).<\/p>\n
In her report, Maria said there were strong indications that
\nformer chief justice Sarwata and former justice Ketut Suraputra,
\nas well as land agency officials and some notaries public had
\nconspired against her in several cases over the dispute of two
\nhouses, located at Jl. Tirtayasa 30, South Jakarta, and Jl.
\nBlitar 15, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
She said in the report that the conspiracy was led by Edy
\nHandoyo, who is the current holder of the ownership certificates
\nof the two houses.<\/p>\n
Maria is being tried on defamation charges following Edy's
\ncomplaint to police.<\/p>\n
"The report made to TGPTPK on July 17, 2000 stated Edy
\nHandoyo's involvement in the bribery case and it tarnished his
\nreputation," prosecutor Mulyana Hasmi told the court, which was
\npresided over by judge Solbaiti Sensedan.<\/p>\n
Mulyana accused Maria of having violated Article 317 Paragraph
\none of the Criminal Code on falsifying reports on state officials
\nand Article 311 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code on defamation.
\nBoth articles carry a maximum penalty of four years in jail.<\/p>\n
This case is adjourned until next week.<\/p>\n
After the hearing was over, lawyer I Wayan Sudirta said that
\nMaria's case was the second one to be linked to witnesses of
\nbriberies involving justices and other government officials.<\/p>\n
"This will set a bad precedent for the future," he remarked,
\nadding that the public would be nervous to report such cases.<\/p>\n
Endin Wahyudin, a middleman, is being tried for defaming two
\nSupreme Court justices, Marnis Kahar and Supraptini Sutarto,
\nafter reporting to TGPTPK that they were involved in an alleged
\nbribery.<\/p>\n
He also reported an alleged bribery involving M. Yahya
\nHarahap, the presiding judge of a land dispute case, which he
\nhelped arrange.<\/p>\n
Endin claimed that he gave Rp 50 million (US$5,882) each to
\nMarnis and Supraptini and Rp 96 million to Yahya Harahap in
\nconnection with a land case the three of them were handling.<\/p>\n
The justices went to trial over the alleged bribery cases.
\nHowever, this week the Central Jakarta District Court rejected
\nthe case against Marnis and Supraptini and the West Jakarta
\nDistrict Court has also done the same for Harahap.<\/p>\n
Endin, who is under the Attorney General Office's witness
\nprogram, will continue his trial.<\/p>\n
Maria also reported an alleged bribery case against a Supreme
\nCourt official named Zainal Agus.<\/p>\n
She claimed she had paid some Rp 100 million to Zainal, the
\nSupreme Court director for administrative affairs, who claimed to
\nhave a good relationship with judge I Ketut Suraputra, to win her
\ncase against Edy.<\/p>\n
Zainal was then tried in June for allegedly receiving Rp 100
\nmillion in bribes.<\/p>\n
However, the South Jakarta District Court dismissed Zainal's
\ncase in view of the fact that TGPTKP was dissolved on June 8, a
\nweek before the trial started. (04)<\/p>",
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