US newspaper denies Indonesian court summons Indonesia
An Indonesian court will summons a US newspaper and journalist in a defamation
case brought by a Newmont mine executive.
The New York Times has denied receiving any legal papers relating to a
defamation suit being brought in Indonesia by a US mining executive.
AFP newsagency reports that a court in Indonesia has summonsed the newspaper
and one of its reporters after they failed to appear in court to defend
themselves.
Richard Ness is suing the newspaper and reporter Jane Perlez in the Jakarta
Central Court over stories published in 2004 that claimed mining giant Newmont
had polluted Buyat Bay with waste from its now defunct gold mine.
Mr Ness is seeking US$65 million in damages for the stories, after he and the
local unit of Newmont were exonerated of polluting the bay with arsenic and
mercury. Ms Perlez and representatives of the New York Times newspaper failed
to appear in court on Monday.
A spokeswoman for the Times says while the publication had not received any
papers, it does intend to defend the case vigorously.
The Jakarta court hearing will resume on July 2.
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s1955237.htm
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