Total lawyer accused of contempt of court for PR

The legal dispute between mining company Total Indonesie and its contractors is heating up, with Total lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis likely to face charges of influencing court proceedings.

A lawyer for the contractors, O.C. Kaligis, said on Friday he reported Todung to the police for issuing a press statement on Wednesday while the court proceedings were still underway.

"Why should he say stuff like the case will scare off investors? This is a simple case between creditors and a debtor, not about influencing the investment climate," said Kaligis, who is representing Istana Karang Laut and Sarana Kaltim Jaya.

He said his office had sent a report to the police on Friday.

Todung held a press conference on Wednesday immediately following the second hearing of a bankruptcy petition filed by the two contractors against Total.

During the press conference, Todung said that should the Commercial Court accept the petition, it would scare off foreign investors.

"Such a statement will influence the judges' opinion, while all we are asking is for the oil company to pay the US$7.17 million it owes our clients," Kaligis said. -- JP