Rector's lawyer discredits defense

Rector's lawyer discredits defense

JAKARTA (JP): Defense lawyer of IISIP Rector Ali Moechtar
Hoeta Soehoet, who is facing charges of sexual harassment, asked
the South Jakarta District Court to consider the honesty of the
witnesses in their verdict.

"I ask the honorable judges not to believe the witnesses'
testimonies although they have testified under the oath," said
Petrus Bala Pattyona when he read his defense statement
yesterday.

Petrus said that most of the witnesses have the same
motivation and intention, "They want to humiliate the defendant
in order to help another party to take over my client's job," he
said.

Hoeta Soehoet is rector of the Institute of Social and Mass
Communication (IISIP) in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta. The lawyer
has previously said that outside parties, which include a
national media magnate, have orchestrated the trial in order to
take over the institute.

The prosecutor has requested that the judge sentence Hoeta
Soehoet to one-year in jail for making indecent advances towards
Dyah Bintarini, a member of the rector's staff. He is accused of
accosting her eight times in his office and other places,
including the institute's library. The sexual harassment
allegedly occurred during the period of March 1987 to July 1991.

The rector is also charged with similar behavior towards Hanny
Ankie Peggy, the institute's chief librarian, who was reportedly
harassed 15 times in her rented room and in various rooms at the
institute, from May 1984 to June 1991.

Petrus said that prosecutor Uri Hasan Basri has failed to see
that Hanny is a promiscuous woman who leads an abnormal sexual
life, as was apparent from her love letters to her two adopted
daughters, Munzillah and Yati Suryati.

Hence, Petrus said, the judges should ignore Hanny's
testimony.

False statement

The lawyer also said that Dyah Bintarini, the other witness
had made false statement about the time she was sexually
harassed by the defendant.

In the court session led by Judge Doris A. Taulo, Petrus said
that, after he arrived at his office, Hoeta Soehoet was too busy
briefing all of the faculty members for the preparation of second
term examination that he did not have time to harass anybody.

In his closing statement, Petrus said that the accusations by
Dyah and Hanny are groundless and the trial is being orchestrated
by a certain party in order to appropriate the institute.

He also asked the presiding judge to discharge the defendant
from all charges and immediately reestablish his good name.

Accompanied by his children and dozens of his staffers, Hoeta
Soehoet looked very composed during the Saturday's session. As
usual he did not give any comment to the press.

The court session was also attended by Dyah and some persons
who showed their sympathy with her.

The judge adjourned the session until Sept. 14 to prepare the
verdict. (03)