TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
'Tempo', Aburizal given 2 options
The Press Council has suggested Tempo magazine and chief welfare minister Aburizal Bakrie either resolve an ongoing disagreement mutually or allow the council to evaluate the arguments and determine an outcome
Change Size
The Press Council has suggested Tempo magazine and chief welfare minister Aburizal Bakrie either resolve an ongoing disagreement mutually or allow the council to evaluate the arguments and determine an outcome.
"The council hopes Tempo will accept the offer of facilitation and mediation so we can seek a win-win solution to the dispute," the council's deputy chairman Leo Batubara said Tuesday.
The council summoned Tempo following a report lodged by Aburizal last week accusing the magazine of defamation. The minister alleges Tempo damaged his reputation by publishing an investigative report on the plight of the Bakrie Group's plummeting shares in its Nov. 17-23 edition.
The report, titled Siapa peduli Bakrie (Who cares about Bakrie), identified Aburizal as one of the biggest sponsors of the 2004 presidential campaign of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla. This "sponsorship", the magazine suggests, earned him the position of coordinating minister for the economy followed by a promotion to chief welfare minister. The magazine alleges that later this position influenced the government's decision to rescue Bakrie Group's Bumi Resources.
Bumi, the world's largest thermal coal exporter, is seeking loans worth US$600 million as part of a series of financing schemes to buy back its own shares. This buyback is aimed at reducing the volatility of Bumi's stock price ahead of its parent company, PT Bakrie & Brothers, selling off its stake.
Aburizal was further offended by his portrait on the magazine's cover depicting "666" -- the demon's number -- on his forehead.
In his written complaint, Aburizal demanded Tempo apologize and made corrections clearly visible to readers.
Tempo chief editor Toriq Hadad told the council the report was a criticism of the government.
"It was never about Aburizal Bakrie in the first place. We will continue to criticize the government even if it does not implicate Aburizal," he said.
"It is part of our effort to prevent unwanted problems within society. We want to ensure the disaster surrounding Bumi Resources does not affect shareholders, with 30 percent of stock belonging to the public."
Toriq said the anonymous sources quoted in the article were in fact high-ranking government officials.
"We double checked all the facts with several high-ranking officials before publishing it."
"There's nothing wrong with using anonymous sources in a journalistic piece."
Toriq said Tempo would follow the council recommendations.
