National

President Director of Newmont Named as Suspect in Buyat Case
Wednesday, 22 September, 2004 | 13:47 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:President Director of Newmont Minahasa Raya (NMR) Richard B. Ness was named as the main suspect in the pollution case in Buyat Bay, Minahasa, North Sulawesi. According to National Police V Director on Particular Crime Brig. Gen. (Pol.) Suharto, the investigation on Ness will be carried out on Thursday this week (23/09).

“We summon Mr. Ness on Thursday as the suspect of this case,” said Suharto to TEMPO at the National Police headquarters (HQ) in Jakarta on Tuesday (21/09).

According to Suharto, Ness will be questioned on the pollution case in Buyat Bay under the article 41 & 46 of Law No.23 of 1997 on Environment. “The questioning and investigation will lead to the corporate crime,” Suharto stated.

He will also send a letter to ban Ness from going out of Indonesia to Indonesian immigration office. PT NMR Site Manager Bill Long is scheduled to be questioned as the suspect of the pollution case.

PT NMR spokesman Kasan Mulyono confirmed by phone that Ness would be questioned this Thursday. Mulyono added that Ness would come and fulfill the summons.

“We’ve been very cooperative in this matter and followed the prevailing legal procedure,” said Mulyono. According to him, the police have explained that the questioning on Ness shall be related to the pollution case.

“We hope that there will be no pressure in the investigation process,” said Mulyono.

Suharto said that the police had formally requested the president’s permission to question State Minister for Environment Nabiel Makarim as a witness in this case. (Martha Warta – Tempo News Room)