Ex-officer of BI seeks compensation

JAKARTA (JP): A former officer of state-owned Bank Indonesia is threatening to sue Forum Keadilan magazine for Rp 11 billion (US$3.73 million) for alleged defamation.

Juan Felix Tampubolon, one of three lawyers representing Anthony M.T. Siregar, said the magazine had defamed his client by reporting that Siregar, as then chairman of a bank supervision team, had received bribes worth hundreds of millions of rupiah.

The allegations were part of the magazine's Sept. 8 cover story.

Tampubolon claimed that the report was erroneous and that the publication disregarded the presumption of innocence principle.

He said someone could only be accused of breaking the law if it was proven and decided in a court of law.

In a letter presented to the biweekly magazine yesterday, Siregar also demanded a statement of apology be printed in six national newspapers and seven magazines.

Asked whether his client would use the "right to reply", Tampubolon said his client was still thinking about it.

Siregar joined Bank Indonesia in 1977 and retired last year.

"I decided to retire because supervising is not an easy job," he said. "It's a high-risk job and I felt tired."

A source at Forum Keadilan said the magazine could not give a response because they just received the letter yesterday. (05)