Aberson's lawyers threaten to leave the courtroom

Aberson's lawyers threaten to leave the courtroom

JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers of a legislator facing trial for
allegedly defaming President Soeharto said yesterday they would
leave the courtroom if videotapes were presented as evidence.

Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan, one of the lawyers, told the Central
Jakarta District Court that videotapes of a speech by legislator
Aberson Marle Sihaloho during an Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) free speech forum last year were illegal and should not be
accepted as evidence.

He said police witnesses had testified that they took the
pictures without permission from the forum organizer, and
submitted them to a superior without any supporting information.

"By editing, the voice in the tapes could be dubbed, so we
question their accuracy," Luhut said.

Aberson, a member of the House of Representatives from the PDI
faction is being tried for a speech he gave on July 13, 1996, at
the party's headquarters.

The free speech forum was organized by supporters of Megawati
Soekarnoputri, the ousted leader of the PDI, to oppose a June
congress in Medan which placed Soerjadi as the new party leader.

In yesterday's session, presiding judge Suhardjo rejected
Luhut's statement and said he would view the tapes at the next
trial session, next week.

"Why don't we hear the cassettes first, and if you feel there
is some impropriety you can argue over it," he said.

Luhut said he was afraid the tapes would influence the court's
proceedings if they were played.

"We will waste our time if we listen to something illegal," he
said.

Luhut said that lawyers representing Aberson would not be
present in the court if the tapes were played.

The judge said the trial would go on without them.

Earlier, legal expert Harun Al Rasyid and PDI legislator Sabam
Sirait gave their testimonies for Aberson's trial.

Sabam said the free speech forum was based on an agreement
between the party's executive board and chief of the Jakarta
Regional Military Command Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso.

"The forum was held with the government's consent," he said.

Sabam said that during a hearing between the House and the
Armed Forces, he had warned the Armed Forces Chief, Gen. Feisal
Tanjung, not to attend the Medan congress because it was illegal.

"As a member of the House and one of the PDI founders, I said
the congress was against the party's statute and I urged him not
to go," he said.

Sabam said the party statute stipulates that the next
mandatory congress is to be held in 1998.

Sabam asked Aberson to deliver a speech on the state budget to
meet the attendants' request.

Chiefs of the Central and South Jakarta District Court said
the subversion trials of the Democratic People's Party (PRD)
would continue during the election campaign from April 27 to May
23.

Under Indonesian law, rallies are banned during the election
campaign.

Chief of the Central Jakarta District Court, I.G.K. Sukarata,
said it was a difficult decision because if the trials were
adjourned until after the May 29 election, people would speculate
on what was wrong. "But if we continue the trials, we are afraid
they will attract crowds which may provoke chaos," he said.

Chief of the South Jakarta District Court, Burhan Husein Putra
Djaya, said he was never instructed to postpone the trials during
the campaign period. (05)