Life isn’t all fun and games for former dictators. Just ask ex-Indonesian President Suharto, whose $27 billion libel suit against Time magazine was recently thrown out by a Jakarta judge. A May 1999 cover story had hurt the leader’s feelings by alleging that his family made $15 billion during his years at Indonesia’s helm, and by detailing his shady banking maneuvers since falling from power. Suharto’s suit also took issue with an “insulting” caricature. The court decided he had no case.
Suharto’s lawyer intends to appeal. The secretary general of the Centre of Indonesian Legal Aid, however, said, “We all knew this was just a PR gimmick. Suharto did not have a strong case against Time to begin with.” Suharto is also coping with living under house arrest while an ongoing corruption probe investigates his regime.
