Court adjourns Akbar-filed defamation suit

Court adjourns Akbar-filed defamation suit

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The first hearing of a defamation suit filed by Akbar Tandjung
against a senior high school teacher and publisher PT Erlangga
was adjourned on Monday after the publisher's representative
failed to show up.

Akbar, who was not present at the hearing, was represented by
a team of lawyers led by Atmajaya Salim at the North Jakarta
District Court.

The former House of Representatives speaker is suing Retno
Listyarti, a civics teacher at State Senior High School No. 13
(SMAN XIII) in North Jakarta, for Rp 10 billion (US$1 million)
for writing a textbook he considers libelous.

In the textbook, Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan SMA, (High School
Civics) Retno uses Akbar's Rp 40 billion graft trial in 2004 to
highlight issues of transparency and the government's social
security program in its second chapter.

Retno also discusses the one dissenting opinion handed down by
Supreme Court justice Abdul Rahman Saleh, who found Akbar guilty
of an abuse of power and working against the public interest. The
other judges acquitted him of the charges.

The text book encourages students to discuss the court's
decision.

In his complaint, Akbar said making his graft trial the
subject of discussion had a psychological impact on one of his
daughters, whose school, the Santa Ursula High School in Central
Jakarta, also used the book.

Akbar's lawyer, Atmajaya Salim, said his client did not object
to the case being inserted in the civics book, in the name of
democracy and transparency in the education system.

"But the writing has to be balanced. It has to include the
arguments for and against the case, which cannot be found in the
book," he said at the court.

Head of the panel of judges Haryanto advised both parties to
settle the case out of court. However, Retno and her lawyers
rejected this move.

"We had earlier met to settle the matter, but then (Akbar's
camp) filed the suit. So now we refuse any kind of mediation.
Instead, we will also file suit against him," said Munarman from
the Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI). He did not detail what kind of
suit would be filed.

Munarman said his client had often been contacted by people
claiming to represent the panel of judges, who had asked her for
bribes.

Haryanto told Retno's camp to ignore the calls, saying they
were "regular occurrences".

Also present at the hearing as an expert witness was senior
advocate Adnan Buyung Nasution, who told the court Akbar's
lawsuit was excessive.

"This book simply details the one dissenting opinion. Akbar
shouldn't have been insulted by it or mad about it," Adnan said.

The next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 19.