Libel sentence ignores Press Law: Council

The Press Council expressed disappointment with the East Jakarta District Court on Wednesday for convicting two shopping center tenants of defaming a property giant only because they posted a complaint letter against the company in a number of dailies.

Sabam Leo Batubara, the head of public complaint unit at the Press Council, told The Jakarta Post that according to the Press Law, the newspapers should be the parties responsible for the letter.

“It seems the judges and the prosecutors have ignored my input when I testified in the court a few weeks ago.”

Earlier on Wednesday the court sentenced Khoe Seng Seng and Kwee Meng Luan to six months in suspended jail term for defaming developer PT Duta Pertiwi. The two tenants of the company’s ITC Mangga Dua shopping center will serve the prison term if they make a defamatory statement against the firm within the coming 12 months.

The two businesspeople had complained about their property's titles issued by PT Duta Pertiwi.

Leo said Duta Pertiwi should have exercised its right to reply by clarifying the complaint letter in the same newspapers and if necessary sought a settlement that involved the Press Council as mediator, in accordance with the Press Law.

He encouraged the public to maintain their critical views despite the verdict.

“If you feel cheated, you should complain. If anything bad happens, we will surely give assistance,” he said.

Both Seng Seng and Meng Luan will appeal the court ruling. Leo said the Press Council would help them challenge the verdict. (bbs)