'Tempo' reporter takes stand in defamation trial
'Tempo' reporter takes stand in defamation trial
Leony Aurora, Jakarta
Tempo weekly journalist Ahmad Taufik told a hearing at the
Central Jakarta District Court on Monday that he had seen the
proposal for the renovation of Tanah Abang textile market from a
company affiliated with Tomy Winata's business group.
The defendant said that his two sources, whose identities were
withheld, showed him the four-and-half page proposal of the Rp 53
billion (US$5.65 million) project which was signed by a certain
David Tanjung.
He said the name Tomy Winata appeared in brackets under the
company's financial backer Bank Artha Graha.
Taufik said his sources would not let him copy the proposal
because, he quoted one of them: "They would know it came from
me".
When the prosecutors questioned why the article in dispute --
titled "Is Tomy in Tenabang?" published in the March 3 to March
9, 2003 edition -- did not mention the name Tanjung, Ahmad said
that the person could not be found for confirmation.
Tempo chief editor Bambang Harymurti, journalists Taufik and
T. Iskandar Ali, are on separate trial for similar charges of
defaming Tomy through the article.
The article insinuated that the businessman was responsible
for a fire that razed the Tanah Abang textile market in February
last year.
The three are facing a maximum of 10 years in prison under
Article 14 of the Criminal Code on provoking disorder, and a
maximum of four years under Articles 310 and 311 on defamation.
Bambang, in a testimony at his subordinates' trial, said that
Tomy knew that such a rumor about his connection with the fire
was in circulation. The well-connected tycoon told Tempo reporter
Bernarda Rurit, who claimed she had interviewed him on Feb. 27 on
his mobile phone, that she was the sixth person to ask him about
the alleged proposal.
Tomy has denied that such an interview ever took place.
"The article could have cleared Tomy's name as there were five
sources, including Tomy himself, who denied the rumor," said
Bambang.
As the story had covered both sides and fulfilled journalistic
norms, Bambang approved its publication.
He said that he had treated the allegation against Tomy as
mere gossip, but started questioning its veracity after his
office was attacked by David A Miauw, a minion of Tomy, and his
group, after the article was published.
David reportedly pushed Ahmad to reveal his sources, saying
that the information must have come from an insider as it
contained specific details.
The libel trial was made based on Tomy's objection to the use
of the phrase "big scavenger" to describe him in the article.
Iskandar Ali said that he, as an editor, added the phrase to
tie the next paragraph with the lead which mentioned a scavenger
who was scavenging for reusable material from the market after
the fire.
The phrase, he said, indicated that Tomy as a big entrepreneur
who would also reap profit from the fire.
"I used quotation marks to show that it was just a metaphor
and that the word "scavenger" had no negative connotation, as it
was an honest job," he told the court.