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JAKARTA: Three Buyat Bay residents have withdrawn a US$543 million civil lawsuit filed against PT Newmont Minahasa Raya for allegedly causing heavy metal poisoning.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