Trisakti bosses told to quit
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The former management of private Trisakti University demanded that the university's current authorities step aside, saying they had the law on their side in this power struggle for control of the institution.
K. Sindhunata, chairman of the Trisakti Foundation, said on Friday the university's current management could be considered illegal after the Jakarta High Court ruled in favor of the foundation in their dispute over control of the university.
"We are now waiting approval from the Supreme Court to issue an eviction order against Thoby Mutis and his group," Sindhunata said.
The former management has been in a battle for control of the university with a group led by rector Thoby. The conflict at Jakarta's largest private university began on April 9, 2002, when Thoby split from the Trisakti Foundation and set up his own foundation to manage the university.
Sindhunata said his group had notified the National Police chief of the court ruling and had asked for help in executing the court's decision.
On Dec. 5 last year, the High Court overruled an earlier decision by the West Jakarta District Court favoring Thoby and his group. The district court had ruled that the Thoby-led group was the rightful manager of the university and was entitled to set up bank accounts to collect the tuition fees paid by over 25,000 Trisakti students.
The former management appealed the ruling and the High Court declared that all institutions and accounts established by Thoby's group were illegal.
Copies of the court's ruling have been sent to the conflicting parties and 41 defendants, but only Thoby has refused to sign it. Thoby's lawyer said his client would sign the ruling by Jan. 19 at the latest.
When asked if the former management would force its way into the university to take control of its management, the chairman of the Trisakti Foundation-backed board of rectors, Adi Andojo Soetjipto, said: "We want to settle this case amicably. We don't want to use thugs because that would disrupt the learning process here."