Tomy and 'Tempo' again asked to settle

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court asked for a second time lawyers of businessman Tomy Winata and Tempo media group to settle the former's libel suit against journalist Ahmad Taufik and media company PT Tempo Inti Media outside the court.

"We will give you another seven days. The hearing is adjourned until July 14," Presiding Judge Iskandar Tjake told the court.

Previously, both conflicting parties had been given 10 days to settle the case amicably.

"But all our efforts failed," said one of Tomy's lawyers, Hadi Sukrisno.

His statement was soon rebutted by Tempo's lawyer Firman Wijaya, who claimed that they had not been invited to settle the case out of court.

The businessman demanded a total of Rp 120 billion (US$14.6 million) in damages for libel which the lawyers said had inflicted at least Rp 40 billion in material losses and another Rp 80 billion in nonmaterial losses.

The lawsuit is based on Taufik's account of an attack on Tempo's office and journalists by Tomy's men, which took place on March 8. Taufik closed his statement by saying that Tomy owned entertainment spots and gambling dens.

The statement was widely distributed over the Internet and was run by news portal Detikcom on March 12.