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)