Two journalists face prosecution for trespassing

Two journalists face prosecution for trespassing

JAKARTA (JP): Two journalists of the Sinar news magazine are
facing prosecution for allegedly sneaking into the home of a
daughter of former president Sukarno in search of evidence that
she was having a love affair with a senior police officer.

Police detectives said yesterday that they had "strong"
evidence that the journalists, Victoria I.G. Sidjabat and
photographer Yul Adriansyah, had illegally entered the residence
of Rachmawati Soekarnoputri in Cilandak, South Jakarta.

"They got into her front yard without permission," a senior
police officer who is handling the case told the Jakarta Post by
telephone yesterday.

The journalists said they were assigned by their editors to
observe Rachmawati's house on Wednesday after her estranged
husband Dicky Suprapto tipped off the magazine that she was there
with Lt. Col. Benny Soemarno. The 46-year-old officer is personal
secretary to the city police chief.

Rachmawati, 44, and Dicky, 54, have filed for a divorce with
the local religious court, each accusing the other of having an
affair.

The source said that the dossiers of the two journalists would
be completed very soon and would be referred to court for
prosecution unless Rachmawati agreed an out-of-court settlement.

The reporters face a maximum term of imprisonment of nine
months or maximum fine of Rp 4,500 (US$2) if they are found
guilty.

Sinar Deputy Chief Editor Wikrama I. Abidin told the Post
yesterday: "We're ready to face the trial. We have nothing to
worry about."

He said he strongly believed that his journalists were
innocent, saying that they had violated no rules because they
entered the residence with permission from Dicky.

Police said earlier on Thursday that the two journalists
climbed the fence of Rachmawati's residence and took several
pictures of two cars parked on the lawn.

Sinar Chief Editor Sjam Alamsjah, who has lodged a protest with
the city police chief, said in a statement released here on
Thursday that the journalists entered the house after a housemaid
opened the front gate for them.

He said the journalists arrived at the house at about 9 p.m.
on Wednesday to interview Rachmawati and prove that she and Benny
lived together in the house, as claimed by Dicky. They were
assigned the story after Dicky who came to the magazine office
and said that Rachmawati and Benny would be at the house that
evening, Alamsjah said.

They went to the house together with Dicky, he added.

After getting inside the house, Yul took several pictures of
the two cars and the house while Victoria went to knock on the
front door before a servant appeared and told them that
Rachmawati did not want to be disturbed, Sjam said.

On their way out of the house, the journalists were startled
when suddenly Rachmawati came out of the house with a gun,
demanding that they leave the premises, Alamsjah said.

He said that they rushed to Dicky's car and left the scene
immediately. To make sure that Benny was at the house, the two
journalists went back to the house alone.

Rachmawati then asked them to accompany her to the police
station, but the two refused until a policeman from the nearby
Cilandak sub-precinct came and one of their editors gave them
permission to go with the officer, Alamsjah said. (bsr)