Buyat residents withdraw lawsuit

Buyat residents withdraw lawsuit

JAKARTA: Three Buyat Bay residents have withdrawn a US$543
million civil lawsuit filed against PT Newmont Minahasa Raya for
allegedly causing heavy metal poisoning.

"The residents -- Rasit Rahman, Masna Stirman and Juhira
Ratubane -- have officially acknowledged and affirmed that there
is no evidence that mine tailings from PT Newmont Minahasa Raya's
mining activities were the cause of any diseases that they may be
suffering from," said Mochamad Kasali, Newmont legal advisor.

At the plaintiffs' request, Newmont also agreed to withdraw a
separate defamation suit that it had filed against Iskandar
Sitorus, the head of Legal Aid Foundation for Health, said
Kasali.

On Sept. 30, Newmont filed a $2 million suit against Sitorus
charging him with falsely accusing Newmont's mine operation of
causing Minamata disease at Buyat Bay. -- JP