No journalistic scavengers at 'Tempo', expert asserts

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

An expert witness has testified in the Central Jakarta District Court in the defamation suit brought by well-connected businessman Tomy Winata against Tempo magazine's chief editor, Bambang Harymurti, and journalists Ahmad Taufik and T. Iskandar Ali, that statements such as the one by Tempo likening Tomy to "a scavenger" were common practice in press writing and far from libelous.

Communications law expert from Hasanuddin University in Makassar, Andi Abdul Muis, said that such a writing style was employed to encourage readers to finish reading the article.

Andi also said that the article titled 'Ada Tomy di Tenabang?' (Is Tomy in Tenabang?), which was carried in the weekly's March 3, 2003, edition had adhered to the basic journalistic principle of "cover both sides".

He told the court that Tempo journalists had satisfied the principle by crosschecking the information they had received from an anonymous source with an official from the local authority, who had also requested anonymity.

Bambang and two other journalists were charged with violating Article 14(1) of the Criminal Code. They have been accused of deliberately disseminating rumors and publishing a report that could provoke public disorder.

If convicted, they could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in jail.

During the hearing, Tempo defense lawyer Trimoelja D. Soerjadi once again called on the judicial panel to subpoena serving Central Jakarta Mayor Hosea Petra Lumbun to testify before the court.

"His presence would be of great importance to the trial as past experience shows us that witnesses often change the statements they give the police when they appear in open court," the lawyer said.

Presiding Judge Soeripto adjourned the trial to March 29.