PRD hearing postponed over technicality
PRD hearing postponed over technicality
JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta District Court adjourned on
Thursday the hearing of a Rp 5.2 billion (US$612,000) lawsuit
against former president Soeharto and 11 other defendants.
The court session, held simultaneously with the former
president's US$571 million graft trial at the South Jakarta
District Court, was to hear a statement from the defense in
response to the suit filed by the Democratic People's Party
(PRD).
The suit was filed over the July 27, 1996, blood takeover of
the Jakarta headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI).
"The court has yet to receive a recommendation from the
Indonesian Army chief about the lawyers eligible to represent the
military defendants in the court hearings," presiding Judge Musa
Simatupang said.
Major Nur Hajizah, one of the lawyers representing the
military defendants, asked the judge to adjourn the trial for two
weeks to allow the defense to secure the Army chief's
recommendation.
Judge Musa approved Nur's request after rejecting a request by
a lawyer representing PRD chairman Budiman Soedjatmiko that the
next hearing be held on Sept. 21 instead of Sept. 28, the same
day Soeharto's graft case is scheduled to be heard.
On July 27, 1996, the PDI headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro in
Central Jakarta was taken over by supporters of the government-
backed chairman of PDI, Soerjadi, from loyalists of ousted PDI
leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is currently the country's
Vice President.
The takeover triggered mass unrest throughout Central Jakarta,
leaving five people dead. Twenty-three others are still listed as
missing. The Soeharto administration accused PRD of masterminding
the unrest.
In its lawsuit, PRD named Soeharto the main defendant. It also
named 11 military and police officers, and politicians as
defendants.
They include former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief Gen. (ret)
Feisal Tanjung; former Jakarta Military commander Lt. Gen. (ret)
Sutiyoso, who is currently the Jakarta governor; former ABRI
chief of sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid;
former National Police chief Gen. (ret) Dibyo Widodo; former
minister of home affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Moch. Yogie S. Memet; and
former ABRI Intelligence Body chief Maj. Gen. (ret) Syamsir
Siregar.
PRD is seeking Rp 5 billion in compensation from Soeharto for
damage to the party's reputation, and Rp 200 million for damage
to the party's headquarters and as compensation for its efforts
to rehabilitate its image following the accusation.
PRD also demanded Soeharto and the other 11 defendants publish
and broadcast an apology in the mass media, with the apology
running for a week. (bby)