Court postpones naming of heirs to Basuki's estates

JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta district court postponed its decision to name a new executor and heirs of the late Basuki Abdullah's estate, allowing his Thai widow time to introduce documents supporting the validity of their marriage.

Eddy Danuwidjaja, lawyer to Basuki's widow, Nataya Nareerat, and daughter, Cicilia Sidhawati, interrupted the court requesting he be allowed to reveal evidence on the legality of the marriage.

The new evidence would thus refute claims by the late painter's lawyer, Siti Zaitin Noor, that the marriage was not valid since it was never registered.

Basuki Abdullah, one of the country's most celebrated painters, was murdered in a foiled robbery attempt at his house in South Jakarta last November.

The murderer and two accomplices have been caught and sentenced between 10 and 15-year jail terms.

From the onset, despite having Basuki's homicide quickly solved, controversy began to emerge surrounding the painter's will.

Without his family's knowledge, Basuki had drawn-up a will which was drafted by his lawyer, Siti, and signed in front of public notary Saleh Shauky just over three months before his tragic death.

Signs of trouble flickered when the executor to the will refused to take responsibility claiming he had never been approached for the said purpose.

According to Siti, the former minister of education and culture, Dr. Fuad Hasan said he knew nothing of the duties prescribed to him as executor of Basuki's estate and therefore declined any responsibility in the matter.

As Basuki's lawyer, Siti was dumbfounded not knowing what to do since she had been told by the deceased prior to his death that Fuad had accepted the duty.

With the absence of a legal executor the will could not be carried out.

Siti then asked the South Jakarta district court to appoint Mrs Saraswati Kouwenhouven, Basuki's Dutch daughter from a previous marriage, as executor.

She supported her argument by alleging that Nataya, contrary to public belief, is not Basuki's wife. Siti supported her allegation saying that the Indonesian embassy in Bangkok has no record of their marriage.

Siti quoted Basuki himself as saying he never signed a marriage document and that Cicilia was neither his natural nor step daughter.

Documents

At court yesterday Nataya, through her lawyer, presented a number of documents disputing Siti's claims.

Nataya produced a document in her native Thai language which she claims is a marriage document. The validity of the documents were reinforced with the stamp of the Thai embassy here in Jakarta.

Another document stated that Cicilia was indeed the daughter of the late painter.

However Siti strongly objected to the documents being submitted as evidence since they were not translated by an officially sworn translator.

After careful consideration, presiding judge Moegihardjo postponed his decision allowing Nataya's lawyer a fortnight to get the documents adequately translated from Thai to Bahasa Indonesia.

Over the weekend Siti disclosed the contents of Basuki Abdullah's will which leaves only a small portion of the estate to Nataya.

It reveals if Nataya fails to prove she was legitimately married to Basuki, she will, as stipulated in the will, be left with nothing but the mere contents of the painter's house.

The bulk of the painter's assets, estimated at about Rp 6 billion (US$2.78 million) is left to Saraswati, the Indonesian government and Cicilia.

Basuki asked that the government establish a Basuki Abdullah museum with the share bequeathed to the government.(mds)