Monsanto lobbied me: Nabiel

Monsanto lobbied me: Nabiel

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Former state minister for environment Nabiel Makarim admitted on
Wednesday that U.S.-based Monsanto Co., one of the world's
leading developers of genetically modified (GM) crops, had
lobbied him to facilitate its business in Indonesia.

"There was lobbying, but it was in line with the law. It's
something common," Nabiel said after a meeting with the
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Monsanto agreed last week to pay a US$1 million penalty to the
U.S. Department of Justice, which charged the company with
violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when it bribed
certain Indonesian government officials to allow it to develop GM
crops in this country. It also agreed to pay another $500,000 to
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Nabiel also admitted that he had a close relationship with
Harvey Goldstein, the president director of the Jakarta-based
Harvest International Indonesia business consulting company,
which according to KPK was hired by Monsanto to lobby the
Indonesian government for legislation and ministerial decrees
supporting the development of GM crops.

However, Nabiel claims that he has no knowledge of Monsanto
paying bribes to employees of the environment ministry.

"No money was offered or requested (during the lobbying),"
said Nabiel, who was appointed as environment minister in 2001 by
former president Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, a KPK deputy chairman, said that
Nabiel came to his office in his capacity as a former environment
minister. As minister he supposedly knew of the alleged bribery
of a senior ministry official by Monsanto that occurred in 2002.

"We have yet to investigate the case, but we are currently
assessing information. We consider the case serious as it must
serve as a warning to other publicly listed companies not to
bribe state officials any longer," he said.

The commission has met with Agriculture Minister Anton
Apriyantono, who has promised to assist in the investigation of
the case.

In the near future, the commission is scheduled to meet
Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar, former environment
minister Sonny Keraf as well as former agriculture ministers
Bungaran Saragih and Soleh Solahudin in relation to the
investigation of the corruption case.

Erry also said that the commission will summon Goldstein of
Harvest International, Villareal and Monagro Kimia, an affiliate
company of Monsanto in Indonesia.

The KPK has already sent letters to the U.S. Department of
Justice and the SEC, respectively, seeking more information about
the case.

Monsanto has admitted that it had spent more than $700,000 to
bribe a senior official in the environment ministry, a senior
official in the agriculture ministry, an official in the National
Planning and Development Board (Bappenas), as well as 140 other
bureaucrats between 1997 and 2002.