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judge at Tebo District Court, Dedek Agus Kurniawan, has reported Harian Jambi daily to the police for reporting that he had accepted a Rp 100 million (US$7,900) bribe from a defendant.

On Feb. 10 and 11, the daily reported that the presiding judge at the Tebo District Court had accepted the bribe from the family of a defendant named Damanhuri, who was on trial in a buffalo rustling case and had been acquitted of all charges.

In response to the matter, the Jambi office of the Alliance of Independent Journalists'€™ (AJI) head, Heri Novealdi, has called on law enforcers, the public and the media in Jambi to comply with the Press Law.

He also urged law enforcement agencies to refer to the 2012 memorandum of understanding between the Press Council and the National Police on coordination in law enforcement and protection of press freedom, which requires that all disputes involving the press be handled by Press Council.

Heri called on journalists to be professional in carrying out their journalistic duties, always check and recheck information, report in a balanced manner, not mix up facts or editorialize in news items and apply the principle of the presumption of innocence.