Freeport Indonesia to Name Retired Marshal as New President Director

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - PT Freeport Indonesia plans to appoint a retired air marshal to lead the mining company in the countrys easternmost province of Papua, according to an internal announcement of the company received here on Sunday.

The appointment of former air force chief of staff Chappy Hakim as the gold and copper mining companys new president director was made following consultation with the government and is now awaiting a formal approval from the US companys shareholders.

The Indonesian government holds 9.36 percent of the companys shares.

The announcement from Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. President and CEO Richard C Adkerson dated November 19, 2016 also mentioned that Chappy has been a senior advisor of Freeport Indonesia since August 2016.

"He joined Freeport Indonesia after completing his career at the air force with his last position as chief of staff and a rank of air marshal," Adkerson said.

Chappy graduated from Akabri (armed forces academy) in 1971 and was chief of the national team for transportation security and safety in 2007.

He finished his Air Force Staff and Command School in 1987, the Joint Staff and Command School in 1997 and National Defense Institute in 1998.

Born in Yogyakarta on December 17, 1947 he was promoted as air force chief of staff in 2002 when Megawati Soekarnoputri was the president.

Chappy would take over from Robert Schroeder who has so far filled the post of president director after previous president director Maroed Sjamsoeddin resigned in January 2016.

Before being PT Freeport Indonesia president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin was formerly deputy chief of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) from 2011 to 2014.

Maroefs resignation occurred following the revelation of a scandal of wiretapping of talks over extension of the companys contract between then House Speaker Setya Novanto and oil businessman M Riza Chalid, known as a "Papa demands shares" case.(WDY)