Minister sued over 'hidden treasure'

BOGOR: Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Al-Munawar and President Megawati Soekarnoputri are facing a class action lawsuit filed by the Sundanese community over the excavation in the Batutulis archeological site here in effort to find "hidden treasures".

The site, which has a history of the past Sundanese kingdom of Padjadjaran, was excavated last month upon the order of the minister, following the suggestion of a paranormal.

The minister had claimed that the project was carried out with Megawati's approval, but he later retracted the statement and apologized.

The Bogor District Court was scheduled to start the hearing on Thursday, but it was postponed until Oct. 10 because Presiding Judge Khumala B. Simatupang was sick.

The plaintiff's lawyer, Rustam Effendi, said his clients want Rp 1,000 (less than US 9 cent) in compensation and demanded that the president dismiss the minister.

On the same day, the Alliance of Society for the Indonesian Heritage Preservation also filed a separate lawsuit against the minister and Bogor Mayor Iswara Natanegara over the same issue.

They demanded Rp 50 billion in compensation.--JP