U.S. lawyer denies working illegally
JAKARTA (JP): One of two American lawyers recently questioned by police over their practice here has denied that he worked illegally.
Mark A. Nelson said Thursday he had a work permit as a technical advisor from the Ministry of Manpower and that his firm PT Mitra Laksana Buana Indonesia (ML&B Indonesia) was registered with the Ministry of Trade and Industry as a consultant firm.
"PT ML&B Indonesia is 100 percent owned by two Indonesians. I just worked there," he said.
He said the company gave advice to clients on business matters, such as on international finance, company restructuring and joint-venture agreements.
"We usually cooperate with Indonesian law firms if our clients need legal opinions. I never go to local courts to handle cases and I never go to government offices to handle our clients' business," he said.
Nelson, and his friend Michael W. Gleba, both U.S. citizens, and five local employees were questioned by police last week after 14 local lawyers reported them for allegedly working here illegally.
Nelson's lawyer, Frans Hendra Winarta, said Thursday the dispute started when a lawyer named Michael Hooton resigned from the local law firm Makarim & Taira S. and joined Morgan, Lewis & Bockius of Singapore.
Frans said Hooton took his personal files when he left the local firm but then returned them.
"But the case was blown out of proportion and became a national issue about foreign lawyers working illegally," he said.
Nelson said Hooton and Makarim & Taira S. should be at the center of dispute, adding that PT ML&B Indonesia and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius of Singapore were unrelated.
"It's unfair that police questioned me and investigate PT ML&B Indonesia," he said.
He said there are about 12 companies in Indonesia which offer international business consultancy.
Frans said Nelson's team of lawyers had sent a letter to Minister of Justice Muladi asking him to order police to stop the questioning.
He said the lawyers would send a letter to the National Police chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo, protesting the actions of police officers who seized his client's documents without a court permit.
Separately, Hotman Paris Hutapea, a lawyer of Makarim & Taira S., said Hooton left the firm in December last year, taking with him company documents.
"If Hooton dares to come here, we will report him to the police for stealing our files. Only a few of the files were returned to us. But that's not the issue," he said.
Hotman, along with several other lawyers, including Amir Syamsoeddin, Todung Mulya Lubis and Kartini Mulyadi, reported the foreign lawyers and PT ML&B Indonesia to the police.
"We supported our report to the police with evidence," he said.
According to Hotman, police have also summoned a Singaporean to Jakarta as a witness in the foreign lawyers' case.
He said the Indonesian lawyers association had complained for many years about foreign lawyers working illegally. (jun)