'Tempo' files appeal over Tomy civil suit verdict<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The defense team for Tempo magazine filed an appeal with the
\nCentral Jakarta District Court on Monday against a court decision
\nordering the weekly to pay Rp 500 million (US$58,100) to Tomy
\nWinata and to publicly apologize to the businessman.<\/p>\n
A panel of judges found the weekly guilty of libeling the
\nwell-connected Tomy in an article it ran that insinuated the
\nbusinessman was involved in a fire that badly damaged the Tanah
\nAbang textile market on Feb. 19, 2003.<\/p>\n
Tempo's appeal comes days after Tomy's lawyers filed an appeal
\nwith the same court over the amount of damages awarded their
\nclient. They had been seeking Rp 200 billion in damages.<\/p>\n
Tomy's lawyer Ervin Lubis filed the appeal last Thursday,
\nexactly a week after the verdict was handed down. His colleague
\nFarida Sulistiani confirmed that Tomy had decided to appeal.<\/p>\n
\"We have many points to appeal. But I can't give you the
\ndetails because we have not received a copy of the verdict yet,\"
\nshe told The Jakarta Post by phone.<\/p>\n
Tempo lawyer Darwin Aritonang said after filing the appeal
\nthat the move was a logical response to the court's lopsided
\ndecision.<\/p>\n
\"The panel of judges rejected all the considerations that
\ncould have served as mitigating factors for Tempo. In our appeal,
\nwe once again present these considerations to the Jakarta High
\nCourt,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Darwin said that in their verdict, the judges overlooked he
\nfunctions of the Press Council, as outlined in Press Law No.
\n40\/1999, in handling media-related cases. The judges also
\ndownplayed the fact that Tempo, renowned for its investigative
\nreporting, had attempted to present a fair and balanced picture
\nin its article, Is Tomy in Tenabang?<\/p>\n
\"What is the use of the Press Council if not for resolving
\nmedia-related cases? Furthermore, Tempo journalists contacted
\nseveral relevant figures about Tomy's alleged involvement in the
\nrenovation of Tanah Abang textile market,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The court on March 18 that Tempo libeled Tomy in the Tanah
\nAbang article published on March 3, 2003 edition.<\/p>\n
The court found the weekly's management responsible for
\npublishing the article, which alleged that Tomy had submitted a
\nRp 53 billion renovation proposal three months prior to the fire
\nat the market.<\/p>\n
In January, Koran Tempo daily lost a defamation case filed by
\nTomy with the South Jakarta District Court. The court ordered the
\ndaily to pay Tomy US$1 million in damages. The daily has also
\nappealed that decision.<\/p>\n
In a related development, the panel of judges hearing a civil
\nsuit against Tempo chief editor Bambang Harymurti and journalists
\nAhmad Taufik and T. Iskandar Ali was forced to adjourn the trial
\nuntil April 5 when several expert witnesses summoned to testify
\nfailed to appear.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tempo-files-appeal-over-tomy-civil-suit-verdict-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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