AJI sues Jakarta administration

AJI sues Jakarta administration

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) filed a suit
against the Jakarta administration, East Jakarta Mayoralty and
the head of the mayoralty's public order office, Dapot Manihuruk,
for breaking a press law by verbally abusing one of its members
in public.

Edi Haryadi, a reporter for the Jakarta-based Warta Kota daily
was covering a case involving a disputed plot of land on Jl.
Cakung Cilincing in East Jakarta, on March 27, when he was
approached by Dapot Manihuruk who launched into a verbal assault.

According to the press law, Manihuruk should have used his
right to issue a formal written objection in reply to the
newspaper article, which published comments made by legal experts
that the public order office had abused its power by intervening
in a private land dispute without following proper legal
proceedings.

The Central Jakarta District Court, however, failed to start
the trial on Tuesday, because none of the accused or their
defense lawyers appeared. Presiding Judge Andi Samsan Nganro
adjourned the first hearing for two weeks. --JP