House denies meeting with Tomy<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives denied holding a secret meeting with
\nbusinessman Tomy Winata before it sought a clarification about
\nthe recent attack on Tempo weekly's office from Tomy, Tempo
\nexecutives and the Press Council on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"My colleagues and I did not attend any meeting with Tomy
\nbefore the hearing with the respective sides. We're not that
\nnaive,\" chairman of the House media commission Ibrahim Ambong
\ntold The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim confirmed that commission staff has made contact with
\nTomy by phone and in writing for administrative reasons.<\/p>\n
\"We did the same with Tempo and the National Police,\" Ibrahim
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Tomy's lawyer, Desmond J. Mahesa, was not available for
\ncomment on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
During the commission's meeting with National Police chief
\nGen. Da'i Bachtiar and his subordinates, legislator Abdul Qadir
\nDjailani disclosed that several members of the commission had
\nsecretly met Tomy before the Monday hearing without good reason.<\/p>\n
Djailani, who did not name those who attended the meeting,
\nasked that the secret meeting be disclosed to the public to avoid
\ncreating the impression that Tomy and legislators had colluded to
\ndesign a strategy on what Tomy should say during the hearing.<\/p>\n
Legislator Effendi Choiri also said that he had heard that
\nsome of his colleagues had attended a secret meeting at Borodubur
\nHotel, Central Jakarta, part-owned by Tomy.<\/p>\n
\"However, I don't believe it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Djailani said that he had heard about the meeting from
\nlegislator A.M. Luthfi. The latter told him that he had not yet
\nconfirmed the issue.<\/p>\n
\"I expect it be clarified to avoid accusations of defamation,\"
\nDjailani said.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the media commission held a meeting with both Tomy
\nand Tempo magazine journalists following the recent attack by
\npeople claiming to be sympathizers of Tomy on the Tempo office in
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Later on Tuesday, the commission met the National Police to
\ndiscuss the same issue.<\/p>\n
The incident drew public attention recently after Tempo
\njournalist Ahmad Taufik revealed that police personnel had
\nappeared powerless against the attackers.<\/p>\n
The attack has also sparked condemnation and strong protest,
\nespecially from the media, which said it was a serious violation
\nof press freedom and that thuggery should be halted in the
\ninterests of law enforcement.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Da'i said the police knew Tomy, who donated a car
\nto them following last year's Bali bombings. Tomy is known as a
\ntycoon who has wide-ranging, close relations with government and
\nmilitary officials.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-denies-meeting-with-tomy-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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