Chevron denounces AGO for extending workers? detention

PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI) strongly criticized the Attorney General?s Office (AGO) which has announced it would extend the detention of the firm?s four employees inflicted in an alleged corruption case by 30 days.

President Director A. Hamid Batubara said in a statement the AGO?s move was especially regrettable as the South Jakarta District Court is still deliberating a pre-trial lawsuit filed earlier by the detained workers to challenge the legality of their detention.

The workers, who face charges of being implicated in the corruption case related to the bioremediation project in Sumatra, filed the lawsuit to question their detention in October.

?On behalf of the employees and their family, we express our disappointment and strongly protest the announcement by AGO that it will extend the detention period by 30 days. This is uncommon that a decision on detention extension was taken before the South Jakarta District Court rules on the legality of our workers? detention,? Batubara said in a statement.

?During the pre-trial hearings (held by the South Jakarta District Court) so far, no evidence presented by AGO that proves there were losses on part of the state. No evidence that CPI workers had violated any laws. No clear reason presented by AGO why our workers have been declared suspects over their involvement in an environmental program that has proven to be successful and approved by the government.?

AGO has detained the four CPI workers since September 26. AGO had earlier named seven suspects in the corruption case, including five PT CPI workers and two workers of PT Green Planet Indonesia and PT Sumigita Jaya, which is the contractor of the project. CPI has since the beginning denied any wrongdoings and denounced the arrest.

CPI said the bioremediation project is a successful environmental-management project, which has been approved and monitored by the government. The investigation into the project by the AGO runs in conflict with rules of works in the oil and gas industry in accordance with the production sharing contract (PSC). Under the PSC, all projects that can be realized and deserve cost recovery are put under the control of BPMIGAS and state audit agencies (BPK/BPKP) and governed by civil law, not criminal law.

All costs related to the bioremediation project carried out by PT CPI are not included in the cost recovery and, instead, has been wholly covered by PT CPI, meaning no state money that has been used for the project.

Jeff Shellebarger, Managing Director of Chevron IndoAsia business unit, expressed concerns over the lack of protection towards the workers? legal rights, civil rights and human rights.

?Our workers have the rights to know why they have been declared suspects and detained by the AGO. We will continue to provide our full support to the workers and their family and we are hopeful that the South Jakarta District Court will remain fair and objective over the facts presented in this case,? he said in the statement.

Editing by Dadan Wijaksana