Inco executives named suspects in forest damage case

The Luwu Timur police precint in South Sulawesi have named four Inco's executives - president director ASS, director for operation TM and project manager SN and TC - as suspects in a case related to the damage to part of the protected forests near the company's concession area in Sorowako, Kompas reported Monday.

Chief of the local police Umar Faroq said last week that the four executives currently under investigation had been named suspects for their role in the development of a dam to support the company's newly built hydro power plant.

He said that the four executives should be held responsible because the location of the dam had overstepped the company's concession area and had also included part of the Karebe forest conservation area.

"The project occupies part of the protected forests. Forests in the protected area have been damaged to make way for the construction of the dam," he said.

Inco's spokesman Agam Fatchurrohman said that the police's decision to declare the four executives as suspects was still too premature because according to Inco's assessment the forests that had been damaged was located within its concession area.

Beside in Sorowako, Inco operates nickel mines in other two locations in Bahudopi, Central Sulawesi and Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi, and has two hydropower plants at present ? the Larona hydropower plant with a capacity of 165 MW and the Balambano hydropower plant with a capacity of 110 MW. (*)