Bob Hasan may face lawsuit for defamation

Bob Hasan may face lawsuit for defamation

JAKARTA (JP): Activists of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) filed a complaint at City Police headquarters yesterday against timber tycoon Muhammad (Bob) Hasan who, they say, has slandered their organization.

"Bob Hasan has repeatedly defamed Walhi in various formal forums," Walhi's program director, M.S. Zulkarnain, told the police.

Walhi and Bob Hasan, who chairs the Indonesian Forestry Society, an organization of Indonesia's forest concession holders, have often been at odds over environmental issues.

Walhi was also represented, yesterday, by Arimbi, coordinator for Environmental Law Program, and two environmental activists, Deddy Triawan and Hasan Jamet. They were met by Capt. Pairin of the police headquarters' public service unit.

Zulkarnain said that Bob had defamed Walhi on many occasions in various local forums; for example, in a meeting of the Jakarta Lawyers Club and during hearing with the House of Representatives.

He said that Bob had defamed Walhi as recently as last week, when, he said, the businessman told legislators that many non- government organizations, including Walhi, liked to bluff and did not arm themselves with accurate data when making statements.

According to Zulkarnain, Bob Hasan told the legislators that Walhi had often maliciously told international forums that poor forest management in Indonesia was largely due to a lack of government control over the activities of forest concession holders.

Arimbi said that Bob Hasan's statement was slanderous. "Bob Hasan can be tried for defamation under articles 207 and 310 of the criminal code," she said.

Zulkarnain said that Walhi would file a lawsuit against Bob Hasan as soon as the police had completed their investigation into its petition.

He also submitted to the police a copy of a paper prepared by Bob Hasan for last week's hearing with the House of Representatives, in which the tycoon alleged that local non- government organizations gave their foreign counterparts false information about Indonesian forest management.

He said that he had a copy of the paper, minutes of the hearing, and a tape recording for use as evidence when he commences his legal action against Bob Hasan.

Zulkarnain said he would urge the State Minister of Environment and the Minister of Forestry to audit Bob Hasan's timber company as a means of verifying Wahli's claims about Indonesia's forest management. (imn)