BPMIGAS Chief laments detention of CPI staff

By Godang Sitompul

Chairman of upstream authority BPMIGAS, R. Priyono is deeply concerned with the move by the Attorney General?s Office (AGO) to detain four staff of PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI) in relation to alleged graft case at the company?s bioremediation project.

Priyono feared that this could become a bad precedence, and worsen the investment climate in the country?s oil and gas sector. ?This could become a bad precedence for the oil and gas investment climate in Indonesia. Oil and gas contract is a civil (contract),? he told Petromindo.com Thursday.

Priyono also expects that the state does not suffer any financial losses in the alleged corruption case.

Meanwhile, Director General of Oil and Gas Evita Legowo was surprised to hear the news that the AGO has arrested the CPI staff, but declined to provide further comments.

As reported on Wednesday, a source told Petromindo.com that the AGO has arrested four CPI staff in connection with alleged irregularities and corruption at a bioremediation project conducted by CPI at its former exploration areas.

CPI has insisted that the project has been conducted in line with existing laws and regulations. It added that the bioremediation project is a successful environmental-management project, wholly funded by the company without the use of any state funds.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak