Tomy was lying, 'Tempo' witness says

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A reporter with Tempo media group testified on Monday that she had interviewed businessman Tomy Winata, refuting the latter's statement in an earlier hearing that Tempo magazine reporters had not sought his confirmation for their 'Ada Tomy di Tenabang?' (Is Tomy in Tanah Abang?) article published in March.

"Tomy was lying," Bernarda Rurit told the Central Jakarta District Court.

The Artha Graha group owner, who said Tempo magazine and its journalists had defamed him in the article, made the statement in an Oct. 27 hearing.

Rurit said she had contacted Tomy by calling his cell phone on Feb. 27 to allegedly confirm that the latter had submitted a proposal to renovate the Tanah Abang market, which was gutted by fire earlier that month.

Part of the recording of the interview, which Rurit said was taped with Tomy's consent, was played during the trial.

"I recorded the interview after Tomy said he would answer my questions. He even asked several times if I would copy the whole interview. It means he knew it was recorded," she said.

She said she was sure it was Tomy on the other line because they had met earlier at a gathering at the Borobudur Hotel.

"I remember his voice and accent... He said I was the sixth person who had asked him about the (renovation) proposal," said Rurit.

The article in question mentions that an anonymous source had seen a proposal from Tomy's company for the renovation of the large textile market, submitted to the Central Jakarta municipal administration before the fire.

Tempo magazine chief editor Bambang Harymurti and journalists Ahmad Taufik and T. Iskandar Ali have been charged with publishing a report that could provoke public disorder, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Another witness, Tempo News Room reporter Indra Darmawan said he had interviewed Central Jakarta mayor Hosea Petra Lumbun by phone on Feb. 28, also on the renovation project.

"He said he knew nothing about it and told me to ask the (market operator) PD Pasar Jaya instead. He also said that he had not seen any proposal from Tomy," said Indra.

Presiding judge Andriani Nurdin adjourned the trial until Jan. 5 to hear more witnesses, including the mayor, who was absent due to "hectic administration duties".