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)