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.