Trisakti bosses told to quit

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."