Muchtar Pakpahan's trial resumes

JAKARTA (JP): The subversion trial against labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan resumed yesterday after a six month adjournment due to the defendant's deteriorating health.

The South Jakarta District Court heard testimony from a Department of Finance official, Ma'mun Gulmay, who was brought to the stand by prosecutors as an expert witness to confirm whether a civil servant's salary was adequate.

Pakpahan, leader of the unrecognized Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI), was charged with subversion in December last year.

The prosecution claims Pakpahan spread hatred against the government in a book he wrote and other statements made between August 1995 and July 27, 1996.

In one of his statements made through SBSI, he asserted that a decent daily wage for a worker should be at least Rp 7,000 (US$2.4) while civil servants and Armed Forces personnel should receive at least Rp 600,000 a month.

Ma'mun claimed yesterday in his testimony that the Rp 78,000 ($27) minimum salary of civil servants and Armed Forces members was sufficient.

Pakpahan and his lawyers repeatedly asked Ma'mun to confirm whether it was enough.

Yesterday's trial was time-consuming as Pakpahan and his lawyers were not allowed to question the witness. Questions were directed to presiding judge Djazuli P. Sudibyo who then relayed the question.

On several occasions Djazuli asked the defendant to repeat the question or flatly rejected it saying it was irrelevant.

This often resulted in heated debate between Judge Djazuli and Pakpahan's four lawyers.

After the hearing, one of the defendant's lawyers, Luthfie Hakim, said he was very upset with the trial procedure. (05)