Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – The civil case between Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman and Tempo, centered on a Rp200 billion lawsuit alleging unlawful acts, has entered a new phase. The Ministry of Agriculture has filed an appeal against the South Jakarta District Court's ruling, which previously granted Tempo's exception as the defendant in a hearing on November 17, 2025.
"The appeal was submitted through e-court on November 28, 2025. The process of scanning the case files is still ongoing," said Asropi, the Second Public Relations Officer at the South Jakarta District Court, when contacted by Tempo on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
According to the South Jakarta District Court's SIPP page, the request lists the Ministry of Agriculture as the appellant and PT Tempo Inti Media Tbk as the appellee. "The appellee will be notified of this appeal in due course," Asropi confirmed.
Tempo's legal counsel, Mustafa Layong, acknowledged they had not yet received official notification. "We have not received any information about this. Thank you for the update. We will first confirm it in the e-court data," Mustafa stated in a brief message.
The legal counsel for the Ministry of Agriculture, Chandra Muliawan, did not respond to requests for confirmation.
Judge grants Tempo's exception
The case began when Minister Amran filed a civil lawsuit, accusing Tempo of committing unlawful acts by not adhering to the Press Council's Statement of Assessment and Recommendation (PPR) concerning a dispute over the cover story titled "Poles-poles Beras Busuk."
The article, which featured a cover image of a rice sack posted on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), discussed Bulog's policy of purchasing farmers' rice at a single price of Rp6,500 per kilogram.
The panel of judges at the South Jakarta District Court previously ruled in Tempo's favor on November 17, 2025, granting the exception and obliging the Ministry of Agriculture (as the plaintiff) to pay court costs amounting to Rp240,000.
Tempo's legal argument for dismissal
Tempo's legal counsel successfully argued that the South Jakarta District Court lacked the authority to hear the case, citing Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press. They maintained that the Press Council is the institution authorized to resolve such disagreements.
Tempo's legal team further argued that the plaintiff had failed to utilize the right to reply, the right to correction, or report the matter to the Press Council, as mandated by the statutory mechanisms outlined in the Press Law. Additionally, they deemed Amran's lawsuit an Unjustified Lawsuit Against Press (ULAP), suggesting it was lodged with improper intentions.
Tempo's legal team also asserted that the plaintiff lacks legal standing to file the lawsuit. They referenced two main justifications: first, the official complaint to the Press Council was submitted by Wahyu Indarto, not the Minister of Agriculture himself; second, the subject of the dispute, namely the news coverage, did not directly implicate Amran but rather focused on Bulog's activities related to rice and/or paddy absorption.
Tempo's legal team characterized the lawsuit as an abuse of rights, citing indications of coercion through the exorbitant demand for Rp200 billion in compensation. They also claimed that Amran's lawsuit was directed against the incorrect entity because the disputed news was published by tempo.co under PT Info Media Digital, not PT Tempo Inti Media Tbk.
Tempo's team stressed that Minister Amran, acting as a government official, cannot sue on behalf of ministry employees, Bulog, or Indonesian farmers without an explicit legal mandate.
– Nabiila Azzahra contributed to the report