Bintang's lawyers threaten court boycott

Bintang's lawyers threaten court boycott

JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers representing politician Sri Bintang
Pamungkas have threatened to boycott the State Administrative
High Court following the court's refusal to hear witnesses in the
suit against Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman
Djojonegoro.

One of Bintang's lawyers, Munir, said the letter of protest
would be submitted to the supervisory judges at the State
Administrative High Court.

"We will not attend the trial unless the (supervisory) judges
take action concerning this matter," he said.

Munir said presiding Judge Is Daryono yesterday rejected the
request to present the University of Indonesia's rector and dean
of engineering faculty to testify before the court.

He added the court also turned down a request to present
expert witnesses and Sri Bintang Pamungkas citing security as the
reason.

"The judges' rejection has denied the plaintiff's right to
present witnesses as this has been guaranteed by the 1986 Law on
the State Administrative Court," Munir argued.

A team of lawyers from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation
representing Bintang filed the lawsuit in August against Wardiman
who had signed a letter discharging Bintang as a lecturer at the
university.

Bintang's discharge from the university came after the former
legislator was convicted of defaming President Soeharto and
sentenced to 34 months in prison.

The court argued yesterday that many of the witnesses
requested by Bintang's lawyers were irrelevant.

Bintang will face subversion charges later this month at the
South Jakarta District Court.

He will be tried for his activities in the Indonesian
Democratic Union Party, a party he founded with other activists
last year.

Among the new charges brought against him was a call to
boycott the May general election which he inscribed in his Idul
Fitri greetings cards which he sent out to many people, including
government officials. (10)