Kinanti Pinta Karana

Prita Mulyasari E-Mail Defamatory, Expert Testifies

A linguistics expert testified on Thursday that the contents of an e-mail message at the center of Indonesia's controversial internet libel trial could be considered defamatory.

The expert, a witness for the prosecution, told the Tangerang District Court on Thursday that Prita Mulyasari's message about the service she received from Omni Hospital had sentences that could be negatively interpreted, such as being “unprofessional and impolite in dealing with patients.”

“However, the linguistics expert couldn’t say what constituted a defamation crime or made one liable to a criminal investigation,” Prita’s lawyer, Slamet Yuwono, told the Jakarta Globe.

“So we read to the court a letter from an unsatisfied former Omni Hospital patient to the Kompas daily in July 2008. The former patient clearly complained ‘that Omni Hospital’s service was bad and disappointing’. The expert said the letter could be categorized as defamatory even though Omni did not sue the former patient.”

Juniwati Gunawan, a director of Bintaro International Hospital, also testified at the trial. Juniwati told the court that Prita was hospitalized at Bintaro International Hospital from August 12-16 last year and was diagnosed with mumps.

“The diagnoses … from Omni Hospital was dengue fever. How could the diagnoses change within a few days?” Slamet said.

Juniwati said a colleague forwarded Prita’s e-mail to him. “I read the mail and I changed the subject to “Don’t Let This Happen to Bintaro International Hospital” and sent it to [our hospital staff],” she said.

“What Prita said in her e-mail was a complaint that could also happen at our hospital,” Juniwati added.

The judge asked Juniwati what she would do if Prita’s e-mail was about her hospital.

“We would meet her and discuss the issue instead of suing her,” she said.

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