Villager testifies against Newmont in Buyat pollution case<\/p>\n
Agencies, Manado<\/p>\n
A fisherman testified on Friday that PT Newmont Minahasa Raya
\n(NMR) dumped pollutants into Buyat Bay that caused him to suffer
\nlumps on his neck and dizziness, but the defense argued on the
\ntrial's first day that the witness was faking his illnesses.<\/p>\n
The case was being closely monitored, with foreign investors
\nviewing it as a test of Indonesia's notoriously weak legal
\nsystem, and environmentalists watching to see whether the cash-
\nstrapped government would cave-in to a multinational company.<\/p>\n
Fisherman Rasit Rahman was the prosecution's first witness at
\nthe trial of the Denver-based company's Indonesian subsidiary and
\nits American director, Richard Ness.<\/p>\n
The company and Ness are charged with dumping mercury and
\narsenic-laced pollutants into Buyat Bay in North Sulawesi. Ness
\nfaces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of US$68,000 if
\nconvicted.<\/p>\n
The company has argued that a police investigation was flawed
\nand that there was no evidence of pollution and no evidence that
\nvillagers had become ill as a consequence.<\/p>\n
But Rahman, 38, who lived close to the mine, testified: \"I got
\nlumps on my neck and suffered from dizziness.\" He also claimed
\nthat fish stocks had been depleted in the bay since Newmont began
\noperating there in 1996.<\/p>\n
He added that his wife and children also suffered from the
\nsame health problems. \"I don't have these problems anymore since
\nI moved to another village.\"<\/p>\n
Under cross examination, the fisherman said he did not go to a
\nlocal doctor for treatment, but waited until several of the
\nvillagers went to Jakarta to get a check up in a trip widely
\ncovered by the media.<\/p>\n
Several such trips were paid for by environmental groups that
\nwere seeking to bring charges against Newmont.<\/p>\n
Rahman said he paid for the trip himself, triggering jeers
\nfrom Newmont supporters in the courtroom.<\/p>\n
Newmont's chief lawyer, Luhut Pangaribuan, claimed Rahman had
\nsigned a declaration that stated he was never sick, with the
\nattorney showing the court a photograph of Rahman signing the
\ndocument.<\/p>\n
The statement was taken by a local legal aid institute in the
\narea, but Luhut gave no further details.<\/p>\n
\"The witness statements have no link to the charges against
\nNewmont,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Luhut, who has repeatedly declared that the company did not
\npollute Buyat Bay, questioned the validity of the villager's
\nclaims.<\/p>\n
\"That's strange,\" he told reporters during a break in the
\ntrial for Friday prayers. \"If he was really contaminated by
\narsenic and mercury, the health problems would persist for years.
\nHow come it's suddenly gone after he moved?\"<\/p>\n
Rahman was among six witnesses who testified at the Manado
\nDistrict Court.<\/p>\n
The National Police launched an investigation last year after
\nclaims surfaced that Newmont had pumped toxic waste into the air
\nand sea around its mining operation in North Sulawesi, causing
\nneurological disorders and severe skin conditions for villagers
\nliving nearby.<\/p>\n
Newmont representatives have long argued that a criminal
\nprosecution of the mining company would serve as a deterrent for
\nmuch-needed foreign investment into the country, but the
\ngovernment has pressed ahead with the case.<\/p>\n
In addition to criminal charges, the government has also
\nfiled a civil lawsuit against Newmont seeking the equivalent of
\nUS$130 million in damages -- although this case was expected to
\nbe settled out of court.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/villager-testifies-against-newmont-in-buyat-pollution-case-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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