Newmont CEO says no deal with Indonesia over pollution

The chairman of the U.S.-based mining firm Newmont said he would not seek a special deal with Indonesia to solve a pollution case which had seen five of his men detained by police, the AFP reported on Sunday.

"We are not looking to cut some special deals," chairman and chief executive officer Wayne Murdy told reporters referring to the upcoming trial of five employees of Newmont Minahasa Raya, a unit of Newmont Mining, the world's largest gold producer.

The men -- three Indonesians, an Australian and an American -- had previously been detained for 32 days after accusations that Newmont had severely polluted Buyat Bay near its mine in North Sulawesi province.

Residents of the area reported to police in August that the mine had caused problems including Minamata disease -- a neurological disorder named after a Japanese bay where there was an outbreak in the 1950s.

A human rights group dealing in health affairs has said 30 people died after suffering symptoms similar to those of Minamata disease since the mine began production in 1996.

Newmont, which closed its Minahasa mines last August, denies there is pollution in the bay.

After holding talks with Indonesia's mines and energy minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and environmental minister Rachmat Witoelar over the past two days, Murdy said he saw "no reason" for the five not to get a fair trial.

"All we ask is that there will be a fair and unbias hearing of the facts," he said, adding that he expected the case to be lengthy due to Indonesia's complicated appeals process.

Newmont has said tests recently conducted at Buyat Bay by an Australian-based research organisation and the World Health Organisation as well as Japan's Institute for Minamata Disease vindicated its claim.

Company president Richard Ness is also a suspect in the case but has not been detained because of poor health.

The men face a maximum of six years in prison or an Rp500 million (55 thousand dollar) fine if found guilty.

The U.S. embassy has criticised their detention as unnecessary because the company has been cooperating in the investigation. It has warned the detentions could scare away badly needed investments from Indonesia. (*)