Aberson gets 9 months for defamation

Aberson gets 9 months for defamation

JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives member Aberson Marle
Sihaloho was sentenced yesterday to nine months in jail by the
Central Jakarta District Court for insulting President Soeharto.

Judge Soehardjo found Aberson, a representative of the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), guilty of defaming the
President in a speech during a political rally at the PDI
headquarters in Central Jakarta in July last year.

The rally, called a "free speech forum," was organized by
supporters of Megawati Soekarnoputri to oppose a government-
backed PDI congress which saw her ouster and the reappointment of
Soerjadi as party chairman.

Soehardjo said Aberson had violated Articles 134 and 207 of
the Criminal Code.

The verdict was less severe than the 18 months imprisonment
sought by government prosecutor Y.W. Mere.

Aberson became the first House member to be convicted by a
court while still serving his five-year term under New Order era.
Soeharto had earlier lifted a privilege accorded to all House
members from any criminal accusations to allow the investigation
and subsequent trial to proceed.

Leaders of the PDI faction in the House were not available for
comment yesterday.

Megawati, who attended the hearing, gave a few words of
sympathy and support to Aberson, who managed to smile even after
the verdict had been read.

Aberson, who did not run in the May general election, later
told reporters about his nine-month jail term: "If I have to go
to jail, I don't know where I will play tennis."

His chief lawyer, Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan, of the Jakarta Legal
Aid Institute, told the court that his client would appeal.

Aberson had denied ever using the offensive words that the
government prosecutor had attributed to him in his speech.

In his defense, he said the 1945 Constitution guaranteed
legislators the right to criticize and express different opinions
to the President's and other government institutions'.

Judge Soehardjo agreed with the prosecution that Aberson had
used the offensive words in his speech. Aberson should have used
more polite words, he said.

A video recording of the speech was replayed at one of the
hearings, prompting Aberson and his lawyers to walk out,
protesting that such recording was inadmissible as evidence.

The judge said he had not taken into consideration Aberson's
defense statement in reaching his verdict because it was more a
political statement than a legal defense. (05/09)