Minister sued over 'hidden treasure'
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
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