Gus Dur loses defamation suit

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta District Court fined former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid Rp 500 million on Monday for damaging the reputation of the former secretary general of the now defunct forestry and plantations ministry.

The fine was much less than demanded by the plaintiff, Soeripto, who had earlier asked for Rp 3.75 billion in damages.

Presiding Judge Amirudin Zakaria said in the verdict that Gus Dur had been careless with what he had said, which had resulted in defamation. Wahid was found to have violated the "principles of carefulness."

The three-member panel of judges comprising Amirudin, I Gde Putu and H. Andi Samsan, also ordered Wahid to pay Rp 299,000 in court fees,Antara reported.

Soeripto sued Gus Dur when the latter was still in office as he had asked the then minister of forestry and plantations to dismiss Soeripto because Soeripto had tried to oust Gus Dur from the presidential seat. Wahid had accused Soeripto of conspiracy with the former Kopassus (Army's special force) chief, Maj.Gen. Muchdi PR in a meeting at Hotel Kempinski, Soeripto said.

Soeripto was also accused of working with the military to smuggle timber using the ministry's helicopters.

Wahid, who was ousted last July for incompetence, dismissed Soeripto in March. The former president had even alleged then that Soeripto had aided in the escape of the fugitive, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.

Wahid's lawyer Nien R. Aryono from the Attorney General's Office, said that she would appeal.

Nien said he regretted that the judges did not put into consideration the fact that Wahid had intended to make an apology. According to the lawyer, Wahid once proposed to meet Soeripto to convey his apologies, but the latter refused.

On the other hand, Soeripto's lawyer Masiga Bugis accepted the judgement even though he said that he was not fully satisfied because the judges had turned down the plaintiff's request to order Gus Dur to make a public apology in the mass media.