Lawmaker Files Counter Defamation Suit Against Pelindo Chief's Lawyer
Jakarta. Lawmaker and perjury suspect Masinton Pasaribu has filed a counter defamation suit against his accuser's lawyer after he allegedly called him a thief during a television interview.
Masinton had earlier reported State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for allegedly taking bribes in the form of furniture worth an estimated Rp 200 million ($13,600) from Richard Joost Lino, chief of state-owned port operator Pelindo II.
Lino's lawyer, Fredrich Yunadi, filed a perjury report on Sept. 23 against the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician saying that Masinton had made inflammatory statements to the media about his client.
On Monday, it was Masinton's turn to launch a counter allegation, accusing Frederich of defamation.
“In one interview with Inews TV, Frederich said that Masinton was a thief who never went to law school and didn't understand the law,” Masinton's lawyer Yasin Hasan said.
Yasin also defended his client's accusations against Lino saying that they were based on evidence collected by the public.
Frederich called the accusation “false” and “tantamount to defamation.” The lawyer however conceded that his client had indeed given Rini several pieces of furniture, but argued they were merely on loan as her official residence had been emptied by the previous SOE minister.
The pieces bear Pelindo's label, which proves that there was nothing secretive about the deal, he added.
Pelindo was the subject of a high-profile police raid on Aug. 28, alleging that the port operator caused the state billions of rupiah in losses when it purchased 10 mobile cranes in 2012 at a cost of Rp 54 billion ($3.7 million).
Lino, who threatened to quit over the raid, made his dissatisfaction known to Vice President Jusuf Kalla and minister Rini, which -- many speculated -- led to the transfer of National Police chief of detectives, Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso just weeks after the raid.
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