JAL told to compensate house owners
JAL told to compensate house owners
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Central Jakarta District Court ordered Japan Airlines
(JAL) on Monday to pay US$1 million in compensation for causing
anxiety to 55 families of three villages near the Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport in Tangerang, following a plane accident
last year.
Presiding Judge Asep Iwan Iriawan said in the verdict that the
company should also pay Rp 7 million ($700) for damaging several
houses, land and two mosques in the villages.
"The company should be held responsible for the accident that
caused anxiety among the residents," Asep said.
The accident occurred on Sep. 5, 2000 when the engine of a
Japan Airlines plane JL 726 flying the Denpasar-Jakarta-Tokyo
route exploded. Fragments from the explosion destroyed several
houses, mosques and land in Tanah Merah, Kedaung Barat and Jati
Mulya villages. No passengers were injured in the explosion.
The residents then approached the airport management PT
Angkasa Pura II, demanding that they be held responsible. But
only 15 residents received compensation amounting to Rp 15
million each.
PT Angkasa said the residents should go directly to JAL if
they wished to demand compensation. However, JAL insisted that it
had given money for the residents through PT Angkasa.
"The evidence consisting of letters and photos failed to prove
that JAL had paid the compensation," Asep said.
Based on Article 44 Law No. 15/1992 on aviation, an airline
company should be held responsible should an accident involving
the airline causes any loss to other parties.
JAL's lawyer, Arif Sidhartama Putra told reporters after the
hearing that JAL would appeal to a higher court.
"My client had paid the compensation through PT Angkasa, based
on an agreement with local residents," he remarked.
Fransiska, a lawyer representing the residents, expressed
satisfaction saying that the verdict could become a precedent for
similar cases.
Several residents of the villages who were present at the
hearing appeared thankful for the verdict.
"At last, justice has come to ordinary people like us," M.
Risin, the head of Jati Mulya village, told The Jakarta Post.