'Penta' ordered to pay Rp 500m to Sudjana
'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)