Aberson faces prison for defaming Soeharto
JAKARTA (JP): An 18-month jail sentence has been requested for the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) legislator, Aberson Marle Sihaloho, accused of slandering President Soeharto, the Armed Forces and the House of Representatives.
Prosecutor Y.W. Mere told the Central Jakarta District Court yesterday that Aberson had been "convincingly proven guilty" of breaching Articles 134 and 207 of the Criminal Code, which carry a maximum penalty of six years imprisonment and one and a half years imprisonment.
"He deserves it, and there are no excuses for him to get off," Mere told the court presided by Judge Soehardjo.
After the sentencing recommendation, Aberson insisted that he was innocent and would defend himself in the next session.
The defense leader, Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan, asked the court for a three week adjournment to prepare a statement.
"Wouldn't it be too long?" Soehardjo said. "You might forget things if it takes too long."
But he adjourned the trial until June 16.
In his 52-page sentencing recommendation, prosecutor Mere said Aberson had made slanderous remarks in a speech to hundreds of people at the PDI headquarters on July 13 last year after the party's leader, Megawati Soekarnoputri, was ousted.
The prosecutor said Aberson was guilty of saying: "Throughout the 30 years of Soeharto's leadership, our freedom has been stolen and we are being colonized once again."
"Aberson also said: 'If Soeharto is really subjugating us, we just have to leave it to God'," Mere said.
Mere said Aberson had also said that the Armed Forces had been linked to coup attempts while Sukarno was president.
Aberson allegedly said: "Look, who have been the rebels after all? The Army. Who led DI/TII? The Army. Who shot the generals in the 1965 communist coup? The Army. So, why are they blaming the people now?"
DI/TII (Darul Islam/Tentara Islam Indonesia) proclaimed an independent Indonesian Islamic State in 1949, under the leadership of army deserter Maridjan Kartosuwirjo. President Sukarno crushed the movement in 1962.
Mere said Aberson had defamed the House by saying: "Our natural resources, which should form the basis for people's prosperity, have become the basis for the prosperity of bureaucrats and conglomerates. Legislators are no longer representing the people, they have turned into conglomerate representatives."
Aberson, accompanied by his relatives and fellow Megawati/PDI faction legislators Sabam Sirait and Sophan Sophiaan, said after yesterday's session that his true statements "have been twisted".
"My case actually has nothing to do with my speech. And my speech was not an attack on personality either, but on systems, policies made on political organizations and the Armed Forces.
"I personally salute President Soeharto for his making Pancasila the sole principle in politics in this country," he said. (aan)