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