|
East Java Police questioned Wednesday the CEO of Lapindo
Brantas Inc. about the devastating May 29 accident at its gas drilling
site in Sidoarjo that continues to inundate surrounding communities
with toxic mud.
Company president and general manager Imam Agustino was questioned only
a day after six suspects were named for alleged negligence in the
accident, but East Java Police detective unit chief Sr. Comr. Amhar
Azeth said his status was as a witness.
"Up to now, there's no new suspect. However, the number of suspects
might increase because we haven't finished examining the executives."
Suspects named Tuesday were Willem Hunila and Edi Sutiyono, who are
Lapindo employees in its drilling division, and four employees of
drilling contractor PT Medici Citra Nusantara: project manager Slamet
Riyanto and drilling supervisors Slamet BK, Subie and Rahenod.
They are accused of negligence for not installing protective casing at
the required depth. "Their negligent act caused damage or devastation
that led to material and nonmaterial losses," Amhar said.
The men will be charged with violating articles 187 and 188 of the
Criminal Code on endangerment of the public, either deliberately or
accidentally. If found guilty, they could face 15-year jail terms.
They also are accused of violating the 1997 Environmental Management
Law and the 2007 Water Resources Law, carrying an additional sentence
of up to 18 years.
Lapindo's lawyer Abi Tisnadisastra said Wednesday it was up to the
police to proceed with their investigation.
"We don't want to talk much, as we fear that it might be distorted by
the media and cause misunderstandings. But if it's about the truth,
let's prove it in court. Now, I'm following the police's investigation
procedures," he told The Jakarta Post.
Imam was first questioned as a witness in late June along with Medici's
president director Yenny Nawawi.
The second questioning, Amhar said, focused on technical matters
related to drilling.
The East Java Police has so far questioned 45 witnesses, including 21
residents, nine Lapindo employees, five Medici staff and two expert
witnesses.
Work continues on trying to halt the foul-smelling hot mudflow from
spreading, which now covers 126 hectares of paddy field in five
villages and has caused the closure of 17 schools, 15 factories and the
Surabaya-Gempol turnpike.
The executive director of the Indonesian Forum for Environment in East
Java, Ridlo Saiful Ashadi, said the case should be considered a
corporate crime and the company directors should be charged instead of
their workers.
"Even Nirwan Bakrie as a commissioner should also be examined and named
a suspect for causing criminal damage to the environment," he said of
the member of the Bakrie family.
"We hope the police are committed to acting fairly and transparently in
investigating the Lapindo case.".
|
