Court delays trial on pollution

Court delays trial on pollution

BOGOR: A panel of judges at the Cibinong District Court, Bogor
regency delayed on Tuesday the opening hearing of a lawsuit filed
by a group of environmental lawyers against large companies on
charges of allegedly producing toxic waste that had threatened
the lives of Munjul residents, east of Jakarta.

The absence of lawyers from PT Nasional Panasonic Gobel
Indonesia, PT Indo Lysaght, owners of small battery recycling
companies and the Office of the State Minister of the Environment
forced the panel of judges to delay the hearing.

"We assume that the summonses sent to the defendants have not
been received, as most of the defendants are outside the
jurisdiction of the district court in Cibinong," presiding judge
Eka Budi Prijanta told the courtroom.

The judges set another hearing for Jan. 20.

Public Interest Environmental Lawyers (PIEL), acting on behalf
of non-governmental organization E-LAW, accused the companies of
violating government regulation No. 18/1999 on the treatment of
hazardous and toxic materials.

The Munjul case surfaced three years ago after its residents
complained of bitter-tasting groundwater, rashes, ulcers,
headaches and digestion problems three years ago. They blamed the
ailments on the activities of companies that dismantled used
batteries and recycled their contents, releasing highly toxic
substances into the environment. -- JP