Women reporting bribery case tried for defamation

JAKARTA (JP): A housewife appeared in court on Thursday on charges of defamation and falsifying a report of bribery which implicated Supreme Court justices, notaries public and National Land Agency (BPN) officials.

Maria Leonita Sri Chandra Harumi, 54, was tried at the South Jakarta District Court for her report on an alleged bribery case filed at the now-defunct Joint Anticorruption Team (TGPTPK).

In her report, Maria said there were strong indications that former chief justice Sarwata and former justice Ketut Suraputra, as well as land agency officials and some notaries public had conspired against her in several cases over the dispute of two houses, located at Jl. Tirtayasa 30, South Jakarta, and Jl. Blitar 15, Central Jakarta.

She said in the report that the conspiracy was led by Edy Handoyo, who is the current holder of the ownership certificates of the two houses.

Maria is being tried on defamation charges following Edy's complaint to police.

"The report made to TGPTPK on July 17, 2000 stated Edy Handoyo's involvement in the bribery case and it tarnished his reputation," prosecutor Mulyana Hasmi told the court, which was presided over by judge Solbaiti Sensedan.

Mulyana accused Maria of having violated Article 317 Paragraph one of the Criminal Code on falsifying reports on state officials and Article 311 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code on defamation. Both articles carry a maximum penalty of four years in jail.

This case is adjourned until next week.

After the hearing was over, lawyer I Wayan Sudirta said that Maria's case was the second one to be linked to witnesses of briberies involving justices and other government officials.

"This will set a bad precedent for the future," he remarked, adding that the public would be nervous to report such cases.

Endin Wahyudin, a middleman, is being tried for defaming two Supreme Court justices, Marnis Kahar and Supraptini Sutarto, after reporting to TGPTPK that they were involved in an alleged bribery.

He also reported an alleged bribery involving M. Yahya Harahap, the presiding judge of a land dispute case, which he helped arrange.

Endin claimed that he gave Rp 50 million (US$5,882) each to Marnis and Supraptini and Rp 96 million to Yahya Harahap in connection with a land case the three of them were handling.

The justices went to trial over the alleged bribery cases. However, this week the Central Jakarta District Court rejected the case against Marnis and Supraptini and the West Jakarta District Court has also done the same for Harahap.

Endin, who is under the Attorney General Office's witness program, will continue his trial.

Maria also reported an alleged bribery case against a Supreme Court official named Zainal Agus.

She claimed she had paid some Rp 100 million to Zainal, the Supreme Court director for administrative affairs, who claimed to have a good relationship with judge I Ketut Suraputra, to win her case against Edy.

Zainal was then tried in June for allegedly receiving Rp 100 million in bribes.

However, the South Jakarta District Court dismissed Zainal's case in view of the fact that TGPTKP was dissolved on June 8, a week before the trial started. (04)