Tito Sianipar, Jakarta — Munir’s widow, Suciwati,
has filed a lawsuit against PT Garuda Indonesia
Airlines for 13 billion rupiah. The civil lawsuit
was heard at the Central Jakarta District Court
yesterday.
One of Suciwati’s lawyers, Asvinawati, said that the
lawsuit was filed because of Garuda’s lack of
professionalism which resulted in Munir’s death
aboard a Jakarta-Singapore-Amsterdam flight on
September 6-7, 2004. "A lack of professionalism
causing the death of a passenger is a fatal error",
said Asvinawati at the Central Jakarta State Court
on Monday September 25 (Asvinawati is also the
director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundations).
Suciwati is suing Garuda for 4 billion rupiah in
material damages calculated from Munir’s potential
earnings until retirement, the cost for Munir’s
planed and paid for study at Utrecht University in
Holland and the cost of his burial. Suciwati is also
suing Garuda for non-material damages amounting to
9,000,700,400 rupiah, a figure taken from the flight
number of Munir’s flight from Jakarta to the
Netherlands, GA-974.
Suciwati said that the lawsuit was filed in order
increase public awareness. "As consumers we must be
respected by companies", she said. Suciwati also
reminded the public that Garuda is a state-owned
enterprise that receives funds from the state
budget. "We as members of the public pay for Garuda,
but (Garuda) does not provide a good service.
Moreover it continues to make losses", she said.
Added to this is the fact that Munir’s murder took
place aboard a Garuda flight.
Suciwati is suing 10 parties that are being held to
be involved in or liable for Munir’s death: the
Garuda Airlines management; former Garuda executive
director Indra Setiawan; the vice president for
corporate security Ramelgia Anwar; flight operations
support officer Rohainil Aini; pilot Pollycarpus
Budihari Priyanto (who has already been jailed for
14 for the murder) and five cabin crew members —
Yuti Susmiati, Oedi Irianto, Brahmanie Hastawati,
Pantun Matondang and Madjij Radjab Nasution.
The defendants are considered to have broken the law
by failing to fulfil their responsibilities to
guarantee the safety of passengers and for providing
an unprofessional service. Suciwati is also
submitting the legal fact that following Munir’s
murder, Garuda actually covered up evidence and
failed to provide prompt and correct information.
The transfer of Munir from an economy class seat to
a business class seat is also considered to be
negligence on Garuda’s part.
The panel of judges presided over by Andriani Nurdin
postponed the hearing in order for Suciwati’s
lawyers resolve some technical issues with the suit.
Garuda’s attorneys meanwhile has been asked to
fulfil the requirements to act as power of attorney
for the 10 defendants. "The hearing will be
continued in two weeks", said Judge Nurdin.
[Translated by James Balowski.]