PALMOILMAGAZINE, LUWU TIMUR – The investigator from the Balai Pengamanan dan Penegakan Hukum Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (Balai Gakkum KLHK) in Sulawesi has handed over the suspect and evidence (second phase) in the case of damaging the Faruhumpenai Sanctuary.
The suspect, FS (45), a financier and renter of heavy equipment in the case, was turned over to the public prosecutor of the Luwu Timur Attorney on July 2, 2024.
Previously, investigators had handed over the second phase of the case to the Attorney for two other suspects, IL (49) and ED (43), who were responsible for operations in the field. Both suspects had attempted to challenge the law by filing a pre-trial motion in the Malili Court, but their pleas were rejected. In the ruling of Malili Court Number 1/Pid.Pra/2024/PN MII on April 24, 2024, Judge Ardy Dwi Cahyono, S.H., dismissed their pre-trial plea in its entirety.
The case itself started from the report of Balai Besar KSDA South Sulawesi Province for the new planting for palm oil plantations around Faruhumpenai Sanctuary. To respond the report, Balai Gakkum KLHK Sulawesi did operation and successfully secured one excavator and one unit chainsaw, and also arrested two field chargers, IL and ED.
The investigators also decided the other five as the suspects in the case. Three of them, IL, ED, and FS were bestowed to Luwu Timur Attorney and would be in trial. Two others, IW and RB as the land owners are in search because they got away when the investigators called them. IW was successfully arrested after being a fugitive for three months, while RB is still being searched.
The perpetuators would be threatened to break Chapter 78 article (3) juncto (jo) Chapter 50 article (2) letter “a” Laws Number 41/1999 about Forestry that has been substituted by Chapter 36 number 17 and number 19 Laws Number 6/2023 about The Government’s Regulation in Lieu of Laws Number 2 / 2022 about Cipta Kerja to be Laws and/or Chapter 40 article (1) jo Chapter 19 article (1) Laws Number 5 / 1990 about Natural Resource Conservation and Ecosystem jo Chapter 55 article (1) the 1st Book of Crime with the criminal threats five years maximal and/or fine Rp 7,5 billion the most.
Head of Balai Gakkum KLHK Sulawesi, Aswin Bangun thanked every party that helped the case, such as, South Sulawesi Police Department, Attonery, Army, Suoth Sulawesi BBKSDA. “The files of the suspects, IL, ED, and FS have been bestowed to Luwu Timur Attorney so that they would be responsible for what they did in the trial. We do hope there would be sentences to deliver deterrent effects for every perpetuator,” Bangun said, as in the official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com, Tuesday (9/7/2024).
He continued, the investigators would develop the case to identify others, such as, modal owners and intellectual actors. “From the temporary result, we decided three new suspects. In total there are five and two of them, IW and RB are in search. IW has been arrested for being wanted for three months, while RB is still being searched,” he said.
Bangun continued damaging the natural resource to get personal income would not be tolerated. “This is the evidence of our commitment and the presence and seriousness of the country through Ministry of Environment and Forestry to maintain the natural resource conservation and protect the people’s rights to get and inherit the environment well for the next generations. As our commitment and consistency of Gakkum KLHK, we have conducted 2.130 forestry and environment operations and 1.529 cases of environment and forestry crimes have been in trial,” he said.
Faruhumpenai Sanctuary, as the important conservation in the Regency of Luwu Timur, has high conservation value. The firm and consistent law enforcement would be the need to maintain the conservation of flora and fauna in the region and to confirm that every environment damage would not be ignored but would get punished. (T2)
