Police grill Nabiel about alleged pollution in Buyat

The National Police questioned former state minister of the environment Nabiel Makarim for five hours on Monday in connection with alleged pollution in Buyat Bay, North Sulawesi, where PT Newmont Minahasa Raya ceased operations late August, The Jakarta Post newspaper reported in its Tuesday edition.

Nabiel could be named a suspect in the case if investigators found sufficient evidence that was complicit in covering up the alleged contamination in the bay, National Police director of specific crime department Brig. Gen. Suharto said.

The former minister in Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration arrived at about 10 a.m. for questioning and left the National Police Headquarters at 3:30 p.m. through the back door. He made no comment about the case.

"As a former minister responsible for monitoring activities of PT Newmont, which could have led to pollution in Buyat Bay, Nabiel must know whether the company had complied with regulations or not," Suharto said.

He said Nabiel should clarify whether the company had submitted reports of ecological risk assessment (ERA) regularly to his office as required by regulations.

He said the questioning of Nabiel was also aimed at completing the case file of five suspects, all Newmont executives, which was recently returned by the North Sulawesi Prosecutor's Office to the police due to lack of evidence.

Apart from Nabiel, the police would also summon more experts this week to provide scientific explanations on sampling methods the police used during their investigation into the Buyat Bay case, Suharto said.

The results of the planned questioning would be included in the case file before being resubmitted to the prosecutors, he said. (*)