Public can learn from defamation case, presidential spokesman says

Pretoria (ANTARA News) - People from all walks of life should learn something from the case involving an Indonesian politician who was convicted of defaming President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, presidential spokesman Andi Malarangeng said here on Monday night.

On the sidelines of President Yudhoyono`s visit to Pretoria, South Africa, Malarangeng made the statement in his response to former House of Representatives (DPR) deputy speaker Zaenal Ma`arif who was sentenced on Monday to an eight-month jail term for defaming President Yudhoyono.

"Hopefully we can learn something from such a case and avoid slander in Indonesian politics," Andi Malarangeng said, adding that Central Jakarta District Court decision on Monday to sentence Zaenal Ma`arif to eight months in prison could serve a lesson to the public that whoever committed slanderous act would face punishment.

According to the Jakarta Post, the panel of Central Jakarta District Court judges said Zaenal committed slender because he could not prove his claims in court that President Yudhoyono had been married twice.

"Alhamdullilah (Thanks God) the truth has been upheld through the court decision and it will restore the image and dignity of President Yudhoyono and his family," Malarangeng said. (*) end