Bintang makes headway in lawsuit against state

JAKARTA (JP): Controversial politician and ousted legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas yesterday made little but significant headway in his lawsuit against the government for slapping a ban on overseas travel.

"The court has accepted the lawsuit, but it asked for some editorial corrections," Bintang told reporters after the first hearing of his case at the Jakarta Administrative Court.

This meant that the suit passed the dismissal review which was held behind closed doors yesterday between the judge, Bintang and his lawyers and the lawyers representing Attorney General Singgih, who was named as the defendant.

The six-month travel ban on Bintang was signed on April 17 by chief of the Directorate of Social Politics of the Attorney General's Office, Kadarman. Bintang was not informed of the ban until five days later.

Bintang later filed a complaint to the Armed Forces and the National Commission on Human Rights saying that the travel ban violated his basic human rights.

The travel ban came as Bintang, then still a member of the House of Representatives, was the chief target of a government investigation after President Soeharto complained that some Indonesians took part in a demonstration against him during his visit to Germany in April.

Bintang has denied participating in the demonstration but police are now investigating another allegation that he gave a speech in Germany in which he attacked the integrity of the head of state.

Bintang yesterday was represented by lawyers from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation while the attorney generals were represented by Ibrahim Laconi, Irdan Dahlan, Sri Hartoyi Waluyo, and Syaiful Bachtiar. The three judges appointed to hear the case are Sudarto Radyo, H.T.A. Husny and Sudaryono.

Bintang has also filed another lawsuit with the same court demanding that he be reinstated as member of the House of Representatives.

Bintang, who formerly represented the United Development Party at the House, was dismissed from his post at the initiative of party leaders who felt that he had gone against the party's official line on many issues. (03)