Ex-producer sues 'SCTV'

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A former producer with private television station SCTV, Dandhy Dwi Laksono, filed a lawsuit against the station on Monday at the South Jakarta District Court.

Dandhy has sued the channel for his dismissal and for hindering his duties as a journalist. The plaintiff demanded that the station apologize publicly in 16 national print and electronic media and pay Rp 4.3 billion (US$505,882) for material and immaterial losses.

The accused are SCTV President Director Lani Ratulangie Rahardja, Chief Editor Karni Ilyas and Senior Manager R. Nurjaman.

Dandhy became the station's morning news producer under a six- month contract from Nov. 25, 2002 to May 24, 2003.

"After the contractual period ended, they didn't confirm if I was accepted as a permanent employee or not. They sent me to Aceh after the imposition of martial law and appointed me the producer of special reports on Aceh," he said.

Dandhy assumed that his dismissal might have been triggered by his first report on Aceh broadcasted on May 21, featuring a statement from an Acehnese who claimed to have been beaten and tortured by the Indonesian Military (TNI), because he was suspected of being a Free Aceh Movement (GAM) member.

Later, Dandhy received news from Jakarta that "military officials were angry with the report".

"I met with Nurjaman on June 13 and he told me that the station had decided not to employ me any longer because I did not meet their standards, and that I was not suitable to be journalist."

He said he had not yet received any formal written notice about his dismissal from the station. He said he would forget the compensation if SCTV publicly apologized and rehired him as producer.

Nurjaman refused to make any comment when the Post contacted him.

Earlier in June, Nurjaman had said Dandhy's contract was only extended for two months until June 14. He said Dandhy had rejected SCTV's extension offer and quit the station.