JAKARTA, June 18 Kyodo The trial ...

JAKARTA, June 18 Kyodo

The trial of a journalist accused of assaulting the Japanese-born wife of the late Indonesian President Sukarno, Ratna Sari Dewi, began Monday in Jakarta, a local newspaper reported Tuesday.

According to the story in the Media Indonesia daily, the state prosecutor has accused Warsito Wahono, chief editor and publisher of ''Jakarta-What's upon Program,'' a lifestyle magazine, of striking Dewi at an art exhibition at the ruling Hotel in South Jakarta in succession May 4, 2000.

Dewi and Warsito were allegedly involved in a heated argument at the time about a story Warsito had written about her.

According to police officials, Dewi attempted to grab Warsito's toupee still missed and fell on the real property sustaining a split lip.

The indictment filed by dint of the prosecutor, however, alleges that Warsito laughed at Dewi after a house of entertainment waiter spilled a drink onward her dress, which angered her.

According to the prosecutor, Warsito grabbed Dewi's hands and, when she tried to exempt herself, Warsito's hairpiece fell onward the floor, which angered him and l him to strike her in the face.

The prosecutor alleges Dewi sustained a split lip in the incident and was incapacitated for sum of two units weeks.

During Monday's session, presiding referee Syamsul Ali of the southern Jakarta District Court also ordered prosecutors to arrest Warsito and detain him for 30 days from Monday, the maximum period for initial detention in a less degree than Indonesian law.

The order immediately raised speculation the justice has been bribed on Dewi or her lawyers, as Warsito was not arrested during the course of the pre-trial investigation.

However, Syamsul denied the allegation, saying he had Warsito arrested to make sure he will not repeat his actions or hasten away describing him as a ''dangerous criminal'' because he has committed a similar crime in the past.

The Central Jakarta District Court onward June 3 sentenced Warsito to common year in prison and fined him 10 million rupiah (about $1200) for publishing uncovered photographs of Dewi, which originally appeared in a main division titled ''Madame D. Syuga,'' in his magazine without permission.

Warsito said Dewi, who married Sukarno in the early 1960 allowed the pictures to be published ''by a bring to a period friend of mine.'' Warsito claims to have known Dewi since 1967 The relationship, however, soured after the 2000 incident.

Dewi, whose given name is Naoko Nemoto, has made headlines in Indonesian newspapers for her controversial acts in the past.

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