Jakarta – Former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid, also known as Gus Dur, was found guilty of defaming a former state official and was ordered to pay US$52,000 in compensation, court officials said yesterday.

The Jakarta district court found that the former president "was proven to have acted improperly" when he accused the former secretary-general of the Forestry Ministry, Mr Suripto, of trying to undermine his administration.

He had also ordered the forestry minister to fire Mr Suripto, saying he was involved in smuggling logs out of the country. He also accused the former forestry official of assisting the fugitive son of former president Suharto, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, to escape justice after Tommy was convicted of corruption.

Mr Abdurrahman was dismissed as president in July. The former forestry official had demanded 3.75 billion rupiah in damages. A court officer said the former president's lawyers had not yet decided whether they would appeal.