Indonesia prosecutors appeal Newmont Mining pollution acquittal News
Indonesia prosecutors appeal Newmont Mining pollution acquittal

[JURIST] Indonesian prosecutors registered their appeal Monday against the acquittal [verdict transcript, PDF; JURIST report] of American Richard Ness [defense website], the regional chief executive of Denver-based Newmont Mining Corporation [corporate website; JURIST news archive], and Newmont's local subsidiary on criminal pollution charges [JURIST report]. An Indonesian court acquitted Ness and Newmont last month and after registering the appeal, prosecutors now have an additional two weeks to specify the grounds for appeal.

Ness and Newmont were accused of dumping arsenic and mercury into the waters of Indonesia's Buyat Bay. Prosecutors had requested a three-year prison term [JURIST report] for Ness and $110,000 fine against Newmont. Newmont settled a civil suit [JURIST report] brought by the Indonesian government last year. Reuters has more.

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