Defamation trial postponed again

JAKARTA (JP): An absence of judges postponed for a second time the trial of a printer charged with defaming President Soeharto.

The court announced yesterday that two of the three judges meant to hear the case were absent because they were participating in a course in Bandung, West Java.

Two weeks ago the trial was postponed because two judges were on leave.

The defendant, Andi Syahputra, 32, stands accused of printing a magazine containing offending articles defaming President Soeharto.

The magazine, Suara Independen, which is critical of the Indonesian government was published in Australia and did not have an Indonesian publishing permit. It is considered illegal.

Andi was arrested last October after police raided a printing shop in South Jakarta and confiscated 3,000 copies of the magazine.

Yesterday's session was meant to hear the testimony of Nuryanto, an employee of another printing shop from which Andi allegedly ordered negative films of the magazine. (13)