Controversial author acquitted of all charges

Controversial author acquitted of all charges

JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court acquitted on
Tuesday the controversial author Wimanjaya K. Liotohe, who had
been charged with insulting then president Soeharto with his book
Prima Dosa (Prime Sins) published in late 1993.

The verdict, read by presiding judge Muchtar Ritonga, was in
accordance with the prosecutor's earlier request to free the
defendant of all charges. The prosecutor's stance was based on
the fact that the Attorney General's Office had revoked its ban
on the book's circulation in 1998.

"... there are no legal grounds for continuing with the case,"
Ritonga said, adding that the books were published when there was
no freedom of expression under former president Soeharto.

Soeharto had publicly announced that the book was a personal
affront to him as it suggested that he masterminded the coup
attempt against president Sukarno in 1965. The Attorney General's
Office officially banned the book on Jan. 25, 1994, two days
after the announcement.

Former Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) chairman, the late
Hasan Basri, said that the book insulted not only Soeharto, but
the Muslim community as well. He called on the government to try
the 67-year-old evangelist author and not let him off because of
his reported mental problems.

Wimanjaya's two other books Prima Duka (Prime Sorrows) and
Prima Dusta (Prime Lies), were also banned in November 1997. The
ban was later revoked.

"Prima Dosa describes all the sins Soeharto had committed as
president. Prima Dusta recounts all Soeharto's lies about the
order issued by former president Sukarno and known as supersemar
which is said to have given authority to Soeharto to take over
leadership of the state on Mar. 11, 1966, while Prima Duka
describes the nationwide murders committed by Soeharto through
his military forces after the alleged 1965 coup attempt,"
Wimanjaya told the Post after the hearing.

In Jan. 1998, Wimanjaya, who hails from Sangir Talaud, North
Sulawesi, went on trial for allegedly insulting then president
Soeharto. The charges carry a maximum punishment of six years in
jail.

A month after President Soeharto's downfall in May, 1998, the
court put the case on hold without issuing any ruling. It was not
until earlier this month that the trial was reopened with
prosecutor Yudi Sutoto's requesting that the court set aside the
indictment against the defendant.

"I am happy with the verdict, which reflects that there is now
legal certainty in the country," Wimanjaya said. (01)