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Pledoi and the Sheepish NGOs


The long, sad trial of Newmont’s Richard Ness is finally winding up in the Manado court this week. He gets to read his pledoi, some Dutch legalese for the defence’s summation. Rick and Newmont’s goldmine was accused of polluting Buyat Bay with mercury to the extent that the residents there were suffering from Minimata Disease. Most of the media is giving him little coverage but his son, Eric keeps blogging away to chronicle the case and send developments to selected journalists and friends.

That was the allegation made by the NGOs then and it triggered a police investigation that led to the detention without trial of several Indonesian an expatriate executives of the gold mining company.  Since then it has transpired that charges of Minimata Disease occurrences were untrue and, if you go by the book, Newmont did not quite pollute the bay.

The NGOs that made the charges have been sheepishly quiet about the incident and some of them have recanted their allegations once Newmont threatened them with lawsuits. Still, no one holds them accountable. And no one will, except maybe Rick, if the court acquits him. Unspun‘s heard that he’s in a mood to sue a lot of people who’ve put him in a tight spot over these past couple of years. Can’t blame him.

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5 responses to “Pledoi and the Sheepish NGOs”

  1. Oigal Avatar
    Oigal

    From everything I have read and seen this was outrageous from the start and should never have been allowed to get to this stage. Besides the personal angst this has caused to the accused, it has done untold harm to the chances of increased investment in Indonesia.

    “Still, no one holds them accountable. And no one will, except maybe Rick, if the court acquits him. Unspun’s heard that he’s in a mood to sue a lot of people who’ve put him in a tight spot over these past couple of years. ”

    I hope he sues the arse off them and I would be doing it in Overseas courts as well..Whats the going rate for being held under false pretences these days..

    Meanwhile of course, others are simply trying to divest as quick as they can..

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  2. moshe katsav Avatar
    moshe katsav

    Ness’ is one case where the public should be firmly behind the corporation and against the NGOs.

    everyone knows who the real environmental criminals in indonesia are – people like Bakrie who flood islands with mud, and the military-backed logging syndicates tearing the forest apart. unfortunately walhi don’t seem to have the guts to stand up to them.

    guess it’s easier to trump up charges against westerners than it is to campaign against lapindo and risk winding up at the bottom of a river somewhere.

    same old story – will indonesia ever change?

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  3. Open invitation to businesses and Indonesian NGOs to respond « Unspun

    […] January 25th, 2007 · No Comments It is good to see readers Oigal and Moshe speaking up against what they felt was injustice done to Rick Ness and other businesses by NGOs (see Pledoi and the Sheepish NGOs). […]

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  4. bayi Avatar
    bayi

    Doesn’t the whole episode show the weakness of the system of justice too? I am shocked! How could mere unsubstantiated accusations of a few NGOs result in the detention without trial of Indonesian and foreign expatriates? If there was no basis to the allegations, how could a trial even be carried out? If there is no basis to sue the government for this act, then it must mean the system allows for this unfair act. This means the laws pertaining to this case are no good.

    Sue the parties responsible for this and liquidate your investments and get the hell out before someone else comes along to create more havoc to your business and your personal life!

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  5. Open invitation to businesses and Indonesian NGOs to respond « Unspun

    […] January 25th, 2007 · 20 Comments It is good to see readers Oigal and Moshe speaking up against what they felt was injustice done to Rick Ness and other businesses by NGOs (see Pledoi and the Sheepish NGOs). […]

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