Treasure hunter denies any wrongdoing

Michael Hatcher, the treasure hunter under investigation by the Indonesian government has publicly denied any wrongdoing and claims that the investigation is politically motivated by business rivals.

Treasure Hunter Resurfaces to Deny Theft Allegations
Jakarta Globe, 04 May 2010

Treasure hunter Michael Hatcher has finally broken his silence on the controversy surrounding his activities, even as the police unit investigating allegations of looting says there is no indication he did anything illegal.

Hatcher, 70, told The Times of London that allegations he had looted items from shipwrecks in Indonesian waters were politically motivated.

“There’s no foundation to it,” he said in Jakarta. “The people behind this are companies opposed to my companies. They have a crack at me all the time.

“My job takes me to places where you take risks, but one thing I don’t do is screw with the law here.

“I don’t want to go to an Indonesian jail.”