One year sought for soothsayer Permadi

JAKARTA (JP): Government prosecutors demanded yesterday that the Sleman District Court in Yogyakarta sentence Permadi Satrio Wiwoho to one year's imprisonment for allegedly blasphemous remarks the prominent soothsayer made during a seminar last year.

Chief Prosecutor Dony Kadnezar told the court that the evidence was sufficient to support a conviction of Permadi under article 156a of the Criminal Code.

The article states that anyone who publicly sows enmity and hatred against a certain group, including a religious community is liable to a maximum of five years' imprisonment.

Dony said that Permadi had made various statements that denigrated the Prophet Muhammad during a seminar at Gadjah Mada University in April last year.

The seminar, held by the university's student senate, also featured former minister of home affairs Rudini and noted lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution.

Dony said that Permadi had insulted Islam by saying, during the seminar, that Prophet Muhammad's seventh century Islamic government had failed to establish a just and prosperous society because it was continuously involved in wars and killings.

"His denigrating remarks, without any doubt, could ruin national unity, in terms of religious harmony. They also (run) against the first principle of Pancasila," the prosecutor said, as quoted by Antara.

The three-member council of judges consisted of Chief Justice Ismed Ilahoede and Justices Antonius Ramelan and Abdul Wahid Oscar.

The trial was adjourned until next week, when Permadi and his lawyers will present their defense.

Permadi's lawyers who were present at yesterday's session were H.M. Dault, Ramdlon Naning, Trimoelja D. Soerjadi, and Tumbu Saraswati. (imn)