District court rejects lawsuit against Soerjadi

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta District Court rejected yesterday a lawsuit accusing the chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Soerjadi, his cadres and the government of being responsible for the July 27, 1996, takeover of the PDI headquarters.

The panel of judges, headed by Judge Abas Soemantri, rejected the suit saying it was "obscure" since not all those accused were proven to be present or responsible for the takeover.

Judges said none of the witnesses could confirm if Soerjadi had been at the scene of the takeover on Jl. Diponegoro No. 58.

However, the judges said the plaintiffs could file an individual lawsuit or appeal to the higher court.

A lawsuit was filed by 98 supporters of the toppled PDI leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, against Soerjadi and his cadres including Buttu R. Hutapea, Romulus Sihombing, Harsoko Soediro, Yahya Theo and Alex Widia Siregar, and the government comprising the Armed Forces Commander, Indonesian Police Chief, City Police Chief and the Central Jakarta Police Chief.

The plaintiffs demanded Rp 100 million compensation each and confiscation of the defendants' property, including their houses.

They also demanded a public apology from the defendants.

Megawati was ousted as PDI chief by Soerjadi in an extraordinary congress in June 1996.

But she brushed aside Soerjadi's claim to the chair as her supporters retained a strong hold on PDI headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro.

On July 27, a hostile takeover of the building took place which later flared into a riot, claiming at least five lives with 23 people still missing.

The 98 people who filed the suit were among those detained by police for more than four months following the incident.

Yesterday's verdict was met with screams of protest from pro- Megawati supporters. Megawati herself was not present.

Megawati supporters packed the courtroom's gallery and seemed ready to lunge toward the judges' stand before one person called on his colleagues to remain calm.

Judges quickly rushed out of the courtroom following their verdict.

Trimedia Panjaitan, one of the plaintiffs' lawyers, was not satisfied with the verdict.

"Testimonies had clearly revealed that all the defendants, from Soerjadi to Alex were present during the incident (yet) it was not treated as legal consideration," he argued.

Dissatisfied supporters later continued to rally at the courtyard under the watchful eye of police who had created a tight security cocoon around the courtyard.

While the crowd were boisterous, no major incidents were reported. (09)