'Rakyat' in dock as big guns try to sink it

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The entire board of 16 editors of the national daily Rakyat Merdeka, including the sports section, stood trial on Thursday at the Central Jakarta District Court in a libel suit filed by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Rini MS Soewandi.

Lawyer for the plaintiff Andrei Antoro said the editors had violated Article 1373 of the Civil Code on libel by publishing an article entitled "Did Mega(wati)'s children rake in a big commission of Rp 180 billion in the Sukhoi deal?" in its June, 30, edition last year.

The article, which detailed the alleged involvement of family members of President Megawati Soekarnoputri in the purchase of Sukhoi aircraft, reported Rini had arranged the deal with Russian counterparts during a striptease show.

Megawati's daughter Puan Maharani, National Logistics Agency director Widjanarko Puspoyo and other Indonesian delegations, also attended the deal, the daily said.

"The story is totally libelous, as our client clearly said no striptease show ever took place," Andrei told reporters after the court session.

Rini is demanding the daily apologize publicly in the national media and to pay Rp 2.5 billion (US$294,000) in compensation.

She is also suing Megawati's younger sister Rachmawati Sukarnoputri, whom the daily quoted as a source in the story.

Presiding judge Roki Panjaitan adjourned the hearing until Jan. 27.

The daily, popular for its tabloid-style journalism, earlier lost two libel cases filed by House of Representatives speaker Akbar Tandjung and Megawati. It is facing another libel action reported by National Intelligence Agency chief A.M. Hendropriyono over an article published in February last year.