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

'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.