Walhi protests planned halt to investigation of Lapindo mudflow case

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The East Java police`s plan to stop the investigation into the Lapindo mudflow case in Porong, Sidoarjo district, triggered strong protest from the environmental watch dog (Walhi).
The investigation msy have to be stopped because of diffilties to secure evidence material, Walhi`s loss in its claim in the court, and Lapindo`s promises of the payment of damages and compensation to the mudflow victims, police in Surabaya said on Wednesday.
Walhi believed the police could use their power in confiscating important documents such as orginal real time charts and geolographs.
All these documents and other evidence on the causes of the mudflow in Porong include an error in explorations by Lapindo.
During a court session, a team of investigators said that they had information and indications that in a certain depth Lapindo failed to install casings in the process of drilling operations, which had caused the mudflow.
In addition, Walhi learned from one of its lawyers, Firman Wijaya, the damages and compensation payments to the victims would not abolish the crime itself.
"It is for this reason that we suggested the national police chief to take over the case," Chalid Muhammad, Walhi Executive Director, said.(*) END

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