Jakarta – Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the son of deceased dictator Suharto, is suing state-owned airline Garuda Indonesia and the publishers of its in-flight magazine for referring to him as a "convicted murderer" in an article about one of his resorts. The civil hearing kicked off in the South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

Listed as defendants are Garuda Indonesia, senior staff members Pujobroto, vice president corporate communications, and senior marketing and promotion staff member Prasetyo Budi, as well as PT Indo Multi Media as the publisher of the magazine and two staff members.

The allegedly offending article, "A New Destination to Enjoy in Bali" published in December 2009, reviews Tommy's Pecatu Indah Ressort and refers to the owner as a "convicted murderer."

In 2002, Tommy was sentenced to 15 years for ordering the July 2001 murder of Supreme Court Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who convicted him of fraud in 2000. He was released after serving just four years.

Tommy's lawyer Ferry Firman told journalists that the reference to his client had no relevance to the article. "[The article] is not a press product, not a journalistic work. They are not listed with the Press Council," Ferry said.

Tommy is seeking a public apology from Garuda.