Apology demanded from Coca Cola
Apology demanded from Coca Cola
Urip Hudiono, Jakarta
Japanese citizen Takasu Masaharu has demanded that PT Coca-Cola
Indonesia run a full page public apology to its customers,
including himself, in 10 national newspapers, 10 national
magazines and 10 foreign-language dailies for producing a bottled
drink that contained a mosquito coil.
The demand was delivered in a hearing on Tuesday at the South
Jakarta District Court after he filed a civil suit last month,
suing the company for producing bottled drink containing a piece
of mosquito coil.
Masaharu requested that the court declare the company guilty
of neglecting the consumer's right to safe products in accordance
with Articles 4, 7 and 8 of the Consumer Protection Law.
"We also demand the defendant publish an apology through 10
television stations and 10 radio stations, each for a three-
minute duration," Masaharu's lawyer, Ike Farida said.
Masaharu also requested that the company withdraw all bottled
drinks from the market and stop all advertisements of the
product, until the company and the Food and Drug Monitoring
Agency (BPOM) verify that they are safe for consumption.
Masaharu demanded that Coca Cola place a notice on its
products in the future, warning customers to inspect them prior
to consumption.
Masaharu, who claimed to have lost his hair and to have been
hospitalized to have his stomach pumped due to the incident,
requested the company pay a compensation of US$1,473,447 for
material losses and US$6 million for nonmaterial losses.
In addition, he requested that the court place an asset
preservation order on the companies' properties in Bekasi, until
it adheres to the court's ruling.
However, Masaharu, an employee of a Japanese company in
Jakarta, claimed the compensation was not his primary concern.
"My main concern is that children or elderly people may
experience the same fate as I did," he said.
Masaharu further said that he decided to pursue legal action
as the company showed no willingness to resolve the case.
PT Coca-Cola Indonesia claimed that they offered two crates of
Coca-Cola to Masaharu and to pay all his hospital fees.
Masaharu, however, refused the offer, since the company did
not make a public apology.
Presiding judge Rocky Panjaitan adjourned the trial for a
month to allow both parties to seek an amicable solution.