Court decides Freeport has lied to public

The South Jakarta District Court accepted on Tuesday the accusation made by the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) that copper and gold mining company PT Freeport Indonesia had provided misleading information about the environmental management of its mine in Irian Jaya.

But, the court rejected Walhi?s request for the mining company to apologize to the public through local and international mass media.

Reading the verdict, presiding judge asked Freeport to improve its environmental management and never provide any misleading information again to the public in the future.

Lawyer Minang Warman, who represented Freeport in the legal battle, said Freeport would appeal the court decision.

Walhi sued Freeport last year following a breakdown of the company?s Wanagon tailing disposal site that claimed four lives.

The lawsuit was based on the Environmental Management Law No. 23/1997, which says: ?Anyone that does business and/or activities is obliged to give true and accurate information about environmental management.?

Walhi claimed Freeport had deliberately given false and misleading information about its environmental management and the Wanagon incident, citing as evidences the press releases issued by Freeport following the incident.

In its lawsuit, Walhi demanded Freeport publish a full-page advertisement for one week in at least ten national newspapers, two local newspapers published in the Irian Jaya province, one-page advertisement for one month in at least ten national magazines, five international magazines and in three international dailies.

Freeport is the subsidiary of American mining giant Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold. (Epin)