Menko Marves Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan Testifies in Defamation Case with Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti

Jakarta –

Menko Marves Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said there was no material loss in the defamation case with the defendants Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti. However, Luhut did not accept being accused of being a criminal and thus being called a ‘lord’.

This was revealed by Luhut when testifying at the Haris Fatia trial at the East Jakarta District Court, Thursday (8/6/2023). Initially the prosecutor asked whether Luhut had suffered any losses in this case.

“Witness, who is a victim in this case, please explain again your losses as a victim?” asked the prosecutor.

Luhut said that there was actually no material loss in this case. However, said Luhut, morally, he was accused of being a criminal to the point of being a ‘lord’.

“Yes, frankly, material losses may not need to be counted, but morally for my children and grandchildren, I am called a criminal, I am called a ‘lord’, I said let alone try. If I accuse you of being a criminal or a thief, you can’t accept that too. ,” Luhut said.

Luhut admitted that he did not accept being accused like that. Moreover, said Luhut, he was a former Kopassus soldier.

“So Your Honor, in my opinion as an old person, and as a former soldier, my soldiers in Kopassus have not accepted this treatment for a long time,” said Luhut.

Furthermore, Luhut said that he had given Haris and Fatia two chances to apologize. However, said Luhut, the two of them never did this.

“I reported it to Your Majesty, I asked twice to be there, he apologized, but he didn’t do it. So what should I do?” added Luhut.

Alleged Defamation

Haris Azhar was charged with defaming Luhut. The prosecutor said that information regarding Luhut’s defamation was spread by Haris Azhar via his YouTube account.

The video uploaded on YouTube is entitled ‘Ada lord Luhut behind Intan Jaya’s economic-ops military relationship!! General BIN is also there! >NgeHAMtam’. What is discussed in the video is a quick study by the Clean Indonesia Coalition entitled ‘The Political-Economics of Military Deployment in Papua: The Intan Jaya Case’.

In the video, the sources are Fatia Maulidiyanti and Owi. The prosecutor said Fatia and Haris had the intention of defaming Luhut.

According to the prosecutor, the words of Haris Azhar and Fatia in the video contain Luhut’s defamation. One of the sentences highlighted is related to mining in Papua.

Watch the video ‘Luhut Comes as a Witness at the Haris-Fatia Trial’:

(whn/lir)