Harmoko abset at court

Harmoko abset at court

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Information Harmoko and his lawyers
failed to turn up at the Central Jakarta District Court yesterday
where a hearing over the lawsuit filed against him by 39
employees of Tempo was to be heard.

Presiding Judge Leo Hutagalung, at the request of a
representative of the minister, agreed to adjourn the hearing for
10 days to allow Harmoko and his lawyers prepare his defense.

The plaintiffs are demanding that the court order the minister
pay them Rp 936 million (US426,423.7) in compensation for two
years of unemployment, the expected duration of the case. They
also asked to have their "immaterial" losses covered.

The suit filed last month is one of several filed against the
minister, who has the authority to revoke the license of any
press publisher.

Another suit filed with the same court was presented by a
group of 972 Tempo subscribers, two other banned journals and 121
journalists.

Harmoko is also having to deal with two lawsuits at the
Jakarta State Administrative Court, one filed by former Tempo
director Goenawan Mohamad and another by a group of employees.
The suits demanded that the court reverse the minister's decision
to revoke Tempo's license last June. (imn)