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