Businessman intends suing businesswoman for libel

Businessman intends suing businesswoman for libel

JAKARTA (JP): A businessman being investigated for fraud is
going to start libel proceedings against the entrepreneur who
laid the fraud charges.

"We'll lodge our charge at the City Police Headquarters
tomorrow," Muhammad Alzier Thabranie, president director of a
private firm, told reporters yesterday.

Accompanied by lawyer Muhammad Nur, Thabranie denied all
charges laid by Novalita, known as Nova, including the accusation
that he had introduced himself as a relative of a cabinet
minister.

"I built my career and this business on my own without ever
using relatives names," argued the 37-year-old businessman.

"She might have heard about my family members but, I swear,
that I never exploit the status of my family members in running
my business activities," he said.

"For God's sake, I'm a single fighter expanding my business."

In her report to the police, who are still investigating the
case, Nova, 37, charged Thabranie had taken possession of her
land and building documents after he promised to help her get a
Rp 100 million (US$44,700) loan from a private bank.

She said that she trusted Thabranie after he explained that he
was a relative of Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
Security Soesilo Soedarman.

A day after the news was released by the press, a senior staff
member at Soesilo's office informed the city police that the
minister had no relationship with Thabranie and suggested the
police make a thorough investigation of Thabranie.

According to Thabranie, his wife, Siti Sundari, is a younger
sister of Soesilo's wife, "but our family status has nothing to
do with my business and, once again, I run my business on my own
without having to 'sell' any of my relatives' positions."

He said that it was Nova and her close friend, Lies April, who
came to his office last year to ask Thabranie's help to find a
source of financing and produced the property certificates as
collateral.

"We then signed an agreement saying that I have full authority
with the certificates," he said by showing a copy of the
agreement dated Oct. 24, 1994.

The certificates, still in Thabranie's possession, are to a
144-square-meter plot of land with a two-story house on it. The
property is valued at approximately Rp 400 million.

Days after the agreement was signed, Nova and Lies asked
Thabranie to lend them some money, which totaled about Rp 15
million, the businessman said. Nova has denied his claim.

"There are many witnesses here who saw them getting money from
me," he said.

Initially, Thabranie intended returning the certificates to
Nova if she repaid the debt. Now he intends to sue Nova for
libel.

As of yesterday, Thabranie said that he never received any
police summons. "I'm ready at any time." (bsr)