Court rules in favor of Ginandjar

Court rules in favor of Ginandjar

JAKARTA: The South Jakarta District Court declared on
Wednesday a member of the House of Representatives guilty of
damaging Ginandjar Kartasasmita's reputation during an interview
with Metro TV in May last year.

In the interview, Chotibul Umam Wiranu of the National
Awakening Party (PKB), accused Ginandjar, the current deputy
speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly from the Golkar
Party, of corruption. Chotibul stated that Ginandjar had marked
up a contract between private oil company PT Caltex and state-
owned oil company Pertamina, receiving billions of rupiah during
his term as a minister of mines and energy during the New Order
regime.

Presiding Judge Hesnu Purwanto ordered Chotibul to advertise
an apology in Kompas daily and pay compensation of Rp 500
million.

"As an intellectual and a member of the House of
Representatives, the accused should understand that his
statements could implicate other parties," said Judge Hesnu
before the court, adding that people must be careful about making
statements in public.

Chotibul's lawyer, Herman Umar, said that he would appeal to
the higher courts.

Ginandjar was, for a time, detained by the Attorney General's
Office on corruption charges, but he was then released as the
Central Jakarta District Court decided that the case should be
investigated by a joint team involving the military because
Ginandjar was an air force officer when the alleged corruption
took place. There has been no reported progress on the case. --JP