Newmont mulls bringing case to arbitration court

Newmont mulls bringing case to arbitration court

Embattled PT Newmont Minahasa Raya said on Wednesday it was
considering taking the government to an international arbitration
court following the environment minister's move to file a civil
suit against the company. Earlier in the day, State Minister of
the Environment Rachmat Witoelar said the government was seeking
US$100 million in damages from Newmont for the alleged pollution
of Buyat Bay in North Sulawesi. Newmont's lawyer Luhut
Pangaribuan said that the minister's move was a "blunder" because
it was against the contract of work signed between the government
and the company. In the contract, Luhut said any dispute between
the two parties must be referred to the international arbitration
court. "We are confident that we will win in the case (at the
arbitration court) because the government has made a blunder by
filing the civil suit with the South Jakarta District Court," he
said. -- Antara