'Penta' ordered to pay Rp 500m to Sudjana

JAKARTA (JP): A judge at the South Jakarta District Court ordered Penta tabloid, its executives, and a businessman on Monday to pay Rp 500 million (US$73,500) in compensation for slandering former mines and energy minister Ida Bagus Sudjana in an article published last year.

Penta, a tabloid specializing in political and economic coverage, was one of the defendants named by the prosecutors. Others were businessman Syarief Tando, the tabloid's general manager Mohammad Ishak, and members of its editorial staff - Mawardi Ittam, Haeru Sulaiman, Sudarto and Anang Aenai Yaqin.

"Freedom of the press is indeed assured by the Constitution, but the defendants were guilty of spreading news which was destructive and offensive to other people's feelings," presiding Judge J.M.T. Simatupang said while reading the verdict.

Previously, the plaintiff demanded the court order all the defendants to collectively pay a fine of Rp 2 trillion.

The hearing was originally slated to be held in the morning, but was adjourned until Monday afternoon for unknown reasons.

The judge said the defendants violated the 1982 Press Law, which urges journalists to write stories in a responsible manner. The law also states journalists should avoid writing stories which are destructive, dangerous for national unity and slanderous.

"The article was sensational and gave the impression that Bapak I.B. Sudjana, who once held a ministerial post, was an irresponsible person," said the judge.

Judge Simatupang also ordered the defendants to publish statements of apology through half-page advertisements in three Jakarta-based newspapers -- Kompas, Suara Pembaruan, Media Indonesia -- and the Denpasar-based Bali Post daily.

"The advertisements must appear in those four newspapers for three consecutive days," he said.

The judge also obliged the defendants to pay trial expenses of Rp 1,230,000.

"The defendants can lodge an appeal to the Jakarta High Court within 14 days, if they are not satisfied with the decision," said the judge.

The story, entitled "I.B. Sudjana Escapes ?", appeared in the tabloid's 10th edition on Dec. 31, 1998.

It accused Sudjana of abusing his power during his tenure at the Ministry of Mines and Energy from 1993 until 1998.

"Minister I.B. Sudjana transferred Rp 280 billion from state- owned mining company PT Bukit Asam to his bank account," read the story.

The judge said the tabloid editorial staff had failed to confirm the truth of the story they had published with the plaintiff I.B. Sudjana.

The defendants, through their lawyer Syarif H. Ali, said in previous hearings that the defendants had contacted the former minister by phone, but the latter was not available for comment.

After the hearing, Syarif said he would lodge an appeal to the Jakarta High Court. (asa)