TEMPO Answers Bakrie’s Charge
Wednesday, 19 November, 2008 | 16:57 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Tempo News Magazine yesterday (18/11) responded to the charge brought by entrepreneur Aburizal Bakrie.

The November 17-23 edition of this magazine edition published news about the shares of PT Bumi Resources, which is owned by the Bakrie family.

“We have answered their charge letter,” said Tempo’s Chief Editor Toriq Hadad yesterday.

The answer was delivered to Aburizal Bakrie’s lawyer, Aji Wijaya, with a copy sent to the Press Council.

One day earlier, Aburizal Bakrie submitted charges against the magazine.

Tempo magazine mentioned that the coordinating minister of people’s welfare was the largest campaign fund contributor to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla and because of this the government always defends him and his family’s business.

In addition, Adurizal also compained about the cover of the magazine as it pictured his face piled up with numbers.

He said he considered the news to be tendentious and forced his family into a corner.

Toriq explained the reports were written based on interviews from responsible sources.

In addition, the writing followed journalistic standards with coverage of both sides.

“We do not provide a long interview with the Bakrie family as there was no response to our interview request. But we included Aburizal’s statement as well as a statement by president’s spokesperson Andi M. Mallarangeng denying our source,” said Toriq.

Regarding the magazine’ cover, Toriq said that Tempo did not mean to discredit or humiliate him.

“This is art,” he said.

The picture is built with numbers without special meaning.

“Numbers are piled up repeatedly so they form the face. It is not numbers glued to the face,” he said.

A special staff member of the Coordinating Minister of People’s Welfare, Lalu Mara Satria Wangsa, said Aburizal Bakrie would still sue the magazine through the police, not through the press council, although Tempo has answered the charge notice.

“It is considered a criminal action as the magazine has carried out defamation,” he said.

The Press Council is disappointed with Aburizal’s decision to bring the case to the police.

“It is a backward step in democracy,” said the chairman of the commission of People’s Complaint at Press Council, Abdullah Alamudi.

Aburizal should bring the case to the Press Council first.

“Even the President and the Vice President do it,” said Abdullah.

He went on to say that the Supreme Court has also stated that cases involving the media have to be examined using the Press State Decree first.

Abdullah said that settling the case using the Press State Decree through the Press Council emphasized win win solutions for both parties.

In addition, it does not take a long time and the costs are lower.

Meanwhile, Vice President Jusuf Kalla confirmed that Aburizal Bakrie was a contributor to the 2004 presidential campaign for Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla.

However, the amount contributed was in line with the regulation.

“The state decree allows people to donate, so it is proper for people to donate,” said Kalla.

TITIS SETIANINGTYAS | ANTON APRIANTO