Nine legislators accused of defamation

Nine legislators accused of defamation

JAKARTA (JP): Five lawyers calling themselves the Advocacy
Team for Upholding the Supremacy of Law, reported nine members of
the House of Representatives to the police on Monday for defaming
and slandering President Abdurrahman Wahid.

The nine legislators are House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, House
Deputy Speakers Soetardjo Soerjoguritno, A.M. Fatwa and Tosari
Wijaya; and legislators Bachtiar Chamsyah, Ahmad Hafiz Zawawi,
Chodijah H.M. Saleh, Farhan Hamid and Hamdan Zoelva.

One of the lawyers, Indra Sahnun Lubis, accused the nine
legislators of violating Article 310 of the Criminal Code on
defamation which carries a maximum punishment of nine months in
jail.

Indra said the nine legislators violated the law as they
accused President of involvement in two scandals, commonly known
as Buloggate and Bruneigate.

"Based on the testimony of the witnesses in the case, the
President was not involved," he told reporters at National Police
headquarters, adding that he and his associates were complaining
to the police as citizens and not as the representatives of
Abdurrahman.

He said the findings of the House Special Committee, which
confirmed Abdurrahman's involvement, were based on a conspiracy
instead of legal facts.

Based on the findings of the Committee, chaired by Bachtiar of
the United Development Party (PPP), legislators Zawawi of the
Golkar Party, Chodijah of PPP, Farhan of the Reform Faction and
Hamdan of the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) also accused
Abdurrahman of concocting "public lies".

Indra and his friends believed that Akbar, Soetardjo, Fatwa
and Tosari, who led the plenary session on Thursday, were also
involved in inciting others to commit a crime.

Asked whether President Abdurrahman had been informed of their
complaints, another lawyer Victor W. Nadapdap said, "It wouldn't
be ethical if we mentioned it."

Indra, Victor and their three fellow lawyers had earlier
represented Abdurrahman's masseur Agung Alip Suwondo who is
currently on trial in the North Jakarta District Court.

Suwondo, with the help of Sapuan, deputy chief of the State
Logistics Agency (Bulog), was the alleged unlawful recipient of
Rp 35 billion from the agency's Yanatera employee foundation in
February of last year.

Abdurrahman has repeatedly denied any involvement in the
scandal. He has also denied playing a role in the other scandal
involving a US$2 million donation from the Sultan of Brunei
Hasanal Bolkiah.

Meanwhile, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf
said the police would study the complaint filled by Indra and his
colleagues.

"If there is any evidence of defamation, we will question the
legislators," Saleh told reporters.

He said that no one in the country was immune from legal
action if they broke the law, including legislators, although in
the case of legislators there were special requirements, such as
presidential consent for their questioning.

He said that as citizens, the lawyers were perfectly entitled
to make a report to the police if they considered that the
legislators had defamed the President.

However, Saleh suggested that the lawyers should use Article
134 of the Criminal Code on defamation of the President and Vice
President, instead of the Article 310 which needed a statement
from the President.

"If the President does not feel himself defamed, then Article
310 will be useless against the legislators," he added. (jun/ylt)