U.S. asks for release of Newmont staff

U.S. asks for release of Newmont staff

Abdul Khalik and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

American Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce held talks with President
Megawati Soekarnoputri and the police on Monday as Washington
aired concerns over the detention of five executives of United
States-based Newmont Minahasa Raya mining company.

During nearly one hour of discussion with the President at the
palace, Boyce said he had expressed concern about the detention
of the Newmont employees, including one U.S. national.

"We are worried about why they should be detained and we don't
think that's appropriate. But we are working with friends and I
am sure we will come out with a good resolution," Boyce told
journalists after the meeting.

Despite being cooperative with the police in their
investigation into alleged pollution in Buyat Bay in North
Sulawesi, the police took American site manager Bill Long,
Australian production and maintenance manager Phil Turner and
Indonesian external relations manager David Sompie,
superintendent of environment Jerry Kojansow and superintendent
of waste processing Putra Wijayantri into custody.

Newmont's president Richard B. Ness has also been named a
suspect but has avoided detention so far due to health concerns.

Boyce said it was still premature to conclude that the case
would drive American business away from the country, saying that
Indonesia remained a good and prospective place for industry.

After visiting the five detainees at police headquarters,
Boyce told reporters that the embassy did not intend to intervene
in the legal process.

"There is no intervention of any kind. Obviously, we respect
the Indonesian procedure and I am quite sure that as the
procedure moves forward, there will be an appropriate outcome,"
said Boyce.

He added that he came to police headquarters simply to visit
the U.S citizen and employees of the U.S company.

Boyce said the appropriate action to be taken now was to have
the Newmont executives' released from detention.

"We do not believe these five are a threat. Newmont has been
very actively supporting the investigation into the
allegations ... and our view is that there is no real need for
the five individuals to be detained," he said.

"And hopefully that will be the ultimate disposition of their
formal request that they made through Newmont, that the detention
be suspended as soon as possible,"

According to procedural law, the police may detain a suspect
if they are of the opinion that the suspect is not being
cooperative, may attempt to destroy evidence, or their are strong
indications that he will abscond.

The National Police's director of specific crimes, Brig. Gen.
Suharto, said it was easier for the police to question the
suspects if they were all detained as they wouldn't have to send
out summonses every time they needed them.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the President would only receive the
report of the joint team investigating the case in the next
couple of days.

Purnomo said that there had been no pressure from Washington
regarding the resolution of the case.