Sintong ignores U.S. court verdict

Sintong ignores U.S. court verdict

BANDUNG: Secretary of Development Operations Sintong
Pandjaitan has decided to ignore the verdict of a Boston district
court that he pay a US$14 million compensation to Helen Todd for
the death of her son Kamal Bamadhaj in the 1991 Dili incident in
which troops opened fire on protesters.

Sintong was then chief of the Udayana Military Command
overseeing West and East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor when the
incident occurred. Kamal was one of several foreigners killed in
the tragedy.

Asked for his reaction over the court decision when
accompanying President B.J. Habibie in the latter's visit here,
Sintong said: "The government does not agree with the court's
decision. I will just continue as usual."

He denied reports that he had been asked by Habibie to pay the
compensation, saying the President did not agree with the court
one-sided decision. (43)