`Tempo' journalists testify to violence<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Tempo magazine journalists Ahmad Taufik and Karaniya
\nDharmasaputra testified on Tuesday that defendant David Tjioe,
\nalias A. Miauw, an aide to tycoon Tomy Winata, had physically
\nattacked the weekly's chief editor, Bambang Harymurti, at the
\nCentral Jakarta Police station.<\/p>\n
Taufik, who failed to turn up at last week's trial due to
\nconcerns regarding security, said that David and hundreds of
\nTomy's supporters had also intimidated Tempo journalists soon
\nafter they arrived at the weekly's office on Jl. Proklamasi,
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"When they first arrived, I heard them shout, `Burn the office
\nof a provocative media', something they threatened over and over
\nagain if we refused to be taken to the police station for an
\n`investigation',\" he told the Central Jakarta District Court.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's trial heard the testimonies of Taufik and fellow
\njournalist Karaniya against David. The defendant was charged with
\nviolating Article 335 of the Criminal Code on encouraging others
\nto perpetrate acts of violence, which carries a maximum jail
\nsentence of one year.<\/p>\n
David, along with hundreds of Tomy's supporters, stormed the
\nweekly's office in early March to demand the retraction of an
\narticle implicating their boss with the fire that ravaged the
\nTanah Abang textile market in Central Jakarta earlier.<\/p>\n
Taufik said that the initiative to take those persons
\nresponsible for the article to the police station came from
\nDavid, and not from the policemen present at the weekly's office.<\/p>\n
Taufik further added that the assault and acts of intimidation
\nwere conducted also by David and a number of Tomy's men inside
\nthe Central Jakarta police station.<\/p>\n
\"Inside the police compound, David physically attacked Bambang
\nthree times, hitting him in his stomach and kicking his left
\nleg,\" he said, and that David ended by caressing Bambang's head
\nwhile threatening him verbally.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Karaniya said in his testimony that David
\nthreatened to kill him after he objected to the way David treated
\nBambang.<\/p>\n
He said that one of Tomy's men beat him from behind after he
\nobjected to the assault on his chief editor.<\/p>\n
Both Taufik and Karaniya regretted that the police had
\napparently turned a blind eye to the assault and even appeared to
\nside with Tomy's minions.<\/p>\n
\"After we had gone through a series of assault and acts of
\nintimidation during the `interrogation', it was the police who
\nforced us to sign a written agreement with David. Also, when a
\nrumor about us being kidnapped by Tomy's men started to spread,
\nit was the police who forced us to meet with reporters to deny
\nthe rumors,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Taufik claimed the police also ordered him to calm down Tomy's
\nsupporters by meeting the angry crowd in front of the weekly's
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Separately, a trial scheduled on Tuesday for Hidayat Lukman,
\nalias Teddy Uban, who is being charged with violating the same
\narticle, was delayed because the defendant claimed to be ill.<\/p>\n
Presiding Judge Sunaryo announced that the hearing would
\nresume next Tuesday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tempo-journalists-testify-to-violence-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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