Reporter gets 4.5 months in jail over phony ID

JAKARTA (JP): A journalist received a jail sentence yesterday of four months and 15 days for faking a press identification card to cover the general session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in March this year.

Central Jakarta District Court presiding judge Rusdi As'ad said Minsidi Suharta, 27, a stringer for Bandung Pos daily, was proven guilty of forging the ID card one day before the general session.

"By faking the card, the defendant disturbed the general session and could have endangered state officials."

He said Suharta was guilty of violating Article 263 (1) of the Criminal Code on faking a document, which carries a maximum punishment of six years in jail.

Suharta superimposed his picture, name and employer on a card originally issued for Adhi Kurniawan from Ipphos photo agency, he said.

He used the card to gain access to the Assembly building and the use of free media facilities, including a facsimile machine and telephone provided by the committee, he said.

He used the card for eight days before the forgery was discovered. The general session lasted 11 days.

Prosecutor Sambara Hasbul earlier asked the court to sentence the father of a baby boy to seven months for the forgery.

"The defendant caused losses to the MPR public relations department because he used the media center facilities during the general session."

He said he had yet to calculate total losses caused by the defendant's use of accredited media-only facilities.

Both the prosecutor and the defendant accepted the judge's decision yesterday, although Suharta said he had mulled filing an appeal.

"Actually, I wanted to appeal the decision but my family forbade me," he said outside the court.

Minus time served, he will be released from jail in two weeks.

Suharta continues to maintain he was prosecuted because of his political activities. He was an active member of the Pijar Indonesia youth organization and a frequent participant in street demonstrations. (jun)