Freeport executives questioned over collapsed tunnel

Several executives of mining company Freeport Indonesia have been questioned by a Papua Police investigative team in connection with a cave in at the Big Gossan underground training facility on May 14. Twenty-eight of 38 workers buried in the cave died.
“Twelve people have been questioned as witnesses in the case, including several executives of PT Freeport Indonesia and workers who survived. The investigation started on May 23,” said Papua Police spokesperson Sr.Comr.I Gede Sumerta Jaya in Jayapura, Papua, on Monday.
The investigative team is led by Papua Police’s detectives chief, Sr.Comr.Bambang Priambada.
Nine of 12 witnesses questioned by the investigative team comprise Freeport’s underground operation vice president Sujatmoko, occupational health and safety vice president Solihin, geo-service vice president Wahyu Sunyoto, Roys Vittorio of Quality Management Service (QMS, QMS superintendent Muhammad Roys, Agung Haryadi from electrical the maintenance unit, training instructor Rendy, safety underground manager Suryanto and Kistian Sitepu, a survivor of the incident.
The investigative team is also supported by a team of geologists and Hasanuddin University professor Abrar Saleng.
Sumerta said the investigation was focused on whether negligence led to the incident.
"If it was a natural event, no one could avoid such a thing from happening. But if there was negligence or deliberateness, anyone deemed responsible could face sanctions,” said Sumerta. (ebf)