High court upholds Bintang's appeal against minister

High court upholds Bintang's appeal against minister

JAKARTA (JP): The State Administrative High Court has upheld
politician Sri Bintang Pamungkas' appeal against former education
minister Wardiman Djojonegoro who fired him from the Civil
service. This caused his dismissal from a teaching post at the
University of Indonesia.

"The court orders the education minister (Juwono Sudarsono) to
revoke the decree on the plaintiff's dismissal and issue a new
decree to rehabilitate Bintang to his former occupation (as a
lecturer)," presiding judge Benjamin Mangkoedilaga told reporters
at his office yesterday.

Benjamin said yesterday that the court reached its verdict
Tuesday to annul the Jakarta State Administrative Court's (PTUN)
February ruling supporting Wardiman's decision to dismiss Bintang
as a lecturer at the University of Indonesia's faculty of
engineering in August last year.

Bintang's dismissal from the post came after the former United
Development Party legislator was convicted of defaming former
president Soeharto and sentenced to 34 months in prison last
year.

Bintang however was released, along with labor leader Muchtar
Pakpahan, by Soeharto's successor B.J. Habibie as part of a
pledge to build a more democratic country only days after the
veteran ruler's resignation on May 21.

Bintang told The Jakarta Post that he was very surprised by
the decision.

"The victory is because of the amnesty... I was free of all
charges once the amnesty was given," Bintang, who is also founder
and chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party, said.

He also said there has been an informal agreement with the
faculty's staff prior to the high court' decision that he would
start giving lectures on Aug. 31.

"I will give lectures for four hours per week," added
Bintang. (byg)