Supreme Court rules against Bukit Asam on Lahat overlap issue

A prolonged dispute taking place in the South Sumatra regency of Lahat and involving two giant mining companies PT Bukit Asam Persero (PTBA) and PT Adaro Energy has come to an end, with the verdict of the Supreme Court affirming the regency administration?s authority over the 24,752 hectare mining site that is located in the regency.

Deputy chief of the Supreme Court Farhan Berza revealed that the Supreme Court on Oct. 11 has decided to affirm the Lahat Regent?s authority over the disputed mining site, saying that copy of the decision letter would be duly delivered to all concerned parties soon.

Adaro has acquired a 75 percent of Mustika Indah Permai?s stakes at a price of US$222.5 million from Elite Rich Investment Limited involving a coal mining area in Lahat which later PTBA claimed as being a part of its mine concession area.

Lahat Regent Syaifuddin Aswari Rivai had then appealed to the Supreme Court to review the matters in relation to the verdict of the State Administrative Court (PT TUN) which had accepted Bukit Asam?s claim on the disputed site.

When contacted by Petromindo.Com on Monday, Bukit Asam?s President Director, Sukrisno said that PTBA had not physically received the letter of verdict yet. ?We will wait for the official letter then we will decide what to do,? he said without giving further details. (godang)