Jakarta – Astro All Asia Networks plc has clarified its position regarding Lippo Group’s PT First Media and the arrest of its president director Billy Sindoro on bribery charges. In a statement company said, “Astro has no association whatsoever with Billy Sindoro and PT First Media, a company owned by the Lippo Group. Billy Sindoro and his associates were also not acting on instructions from Astro.” PT First Media and other Lippo Group companies are in dispute with Astro over a proposed joint venture in PT Direct Vision (PTDV) that uses the Astro Nusantara name in Indonesia, and (which) was never concluded. September 4 saw Astro announce it would not renew its service agreement with PT Direct Vision that expired on August 31. PTDV has until the end of September to make other arrangements for approx 100,000 Astro Nusantara subscribers. Astro All Asia Networks plc just recorded a pre-tax loss of RM179.693 million (US$51.7 million) for the six months ended 31 July 2008 due to start-up losses in its overseas investment and provisions for its Indonesian venture. In the previous corresponding period, it booked a pre-tax profit of RM38.446 million. But revenues were up 19.8 per cent to RM1.45 billion from RM1.21 billion for the same period last year.