TV actress wins lawsuit against Unilever

TV actress wins lawsuit against Unilever

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Actress Bella Saphira won her case against giant Dutch company
PT Unilever on Monday after the South Jakarta District Court
declared the firm had violated its contract with her.

However, the panel of judges, presided over by Judge Lalu
Mariyun, rejected Bella's demand that PT Unilever and advertising
bureau JWT Adforce pay a total of Rp 1.12 billion (US$100,200) in
damages for material and nonmaterial losses, because Bella had
failed to give details of the demand.

PT Unilever and JWT Adforce were ordered to pay Rp 100 million
for material losses.

"As a large and reputable company, the accused (PT Unilever)
failed to fulfill the principle of fairness and to act
professionally by tolerating the installment of a billboard
featuring the plaintiff, even though their contract had expired,"
Lalu Mariyun told the court.

Bella lodged her lawsuit in October last year after she saw a
billboard with her picture on it in Bandung on April 17 last
year. Her one-year contract with the company expired on Feb. 1,
2001.

PT Unilever will appeal to a higher court, said lawyer Hardjon
Sinaga during the hearing, which was packed with reporters and
onlookers.

The firm believed it did no wrong because Article 2 of the
contract stated that Bella would not ask for compensation should
the company continue displaying the billboard featuring her after
the contract expired, because it would take time for the company
to withdraw it.

Bella and her team of lawyers could not hide their
exhilaration.

"People were pessimistic when I filed the lawsuit, but justice
has been served. I accept the verdict. I hope giant companies in
future will be aware of their rights and obligations," said
Bella.

Bella, who was clad in a white shirt and black skirt, also
drew attention from district court officials and visitors alike,
who all clamored to get a glimpse of the young woman, whose star
appeal as a sinetron (TV soap opera) actress has in recent months
has faded.

Lalu pointed his fingers several times at Bella, who was on
the first floor, to draw her attention.

As she was busy being interviewed, the judge shouted to a
reporter next to Bella and told him to ask Bella to wave at him.

Bella then waved her both hands at Lalu, who then waved back.

Judge Lalu is also the presiding judge handling Hutomo "Tommy"
Mandala Putra's murder trial, as well as the graft trial of
Rahardi Ramelan, former chief of the State Logistics Agency.

He was also the judge who acquitted Tommy from graft charges
in 2000 -- the verdict was later overturned by Supreme Court
Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita and two of his colleagues.

Monday's verdict was a victory for local celebrities. It is
rare for a celebrity to win a lawsuit against a company for a
dispute over a contract.

Several years ago, actress Jihan Fahira, a model for Nivea,
sued the producer, German giant PT Baiersdorf Indonesia, in a
similar case. However, the settlement details were not disclosed.