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‘The Jakarta Post’ received no money from LIPPO Group: Slamet Wibowo
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PT Kobo Media Spirit president director Stefanus Slamet Wibowo testifies at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Oct. 19. (Antara/Widodo S. Jusuf)
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T Kobo Media Spirit CEO Stefanus Slamet Wibowo has stressed that no funds from LIPPO Group were disbursed to The Jakarta Post through his consultant company to prevent reports on alleged bribery involving the group being published.
“There was not a cent for The Jakarta Post. I know almost no one at the Post,” said Slamet in a letter to The Jakarta Post Digital editor-in-chief Nezar Patria on Thursday.
Speaking as a witness for graft suspect Edy Nasution, a Central Jakarta District Court clerk, on Oct. 19, as reported by kompas.com, Slamet said that over five to six months he had received Rp 600 million (US$46,127) to pay media outlets to help build a positive image for the group.
Edy, who was being tried at the Jakarta Corruption Court, was accused of accepting a Rp 2.3 billion bribe to help resolve legal issues related to LIPPO Group.
In his press clarification issued on Thursday Slamet offered his apology over the media reports relating to his testimony in court.
Regarding the list of alleged media beneficiaries, as stated during the court hearing, Slamet said it was only a proposal to his client Paul Montolalu, who is an executive at LIPPO Group.
“As was explained during the trial, such a proposal could be corrected, discounted or accepted,” Slamet said, insisting that no funds had been distributed to print media personnel as gratuities.
Meanwhile, the Post's editor-in-chief Endy Bayuni said Slamet did not provide any evidence to back up his testimony in court. "We have checked all our stories related to the case and have found no stories that could be construed as having been influenced by bribes. Nevertheless, we take this allegation seriously and we are setting up an ombudsman to make further enquiries," Endy said.
Nezar expressed his concern that in his testimony Slamet had stated that the Post and other major media organizations had received funds, while in the case dossier, the Post was not listed as among the media organizations that had allegedly received funds.
“The information is baseless. Such practices are against the journalistic principles of the Post and the journalistic code of ethics,” he added. (bbn)
