Court postpones naming of heirs to Basuki's estates
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)