InfoSAWIT, PADANG – The investigator of Legal Enforcement of Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MEF) in Sumatera and Forestry Agency of West Sumatera Province sentenced EL (66) as the suspect to conduct, use, and operate in forest regions illegally. It was the follow up of Operasi Gabungan Pengamanan Kawasan Hutan Produksi Konversi (HPK) that Legal Enforcement MEF and Forestry Agency West Sumatera Province did in Sub district of Basa Ampek Balai Tapan, Regency of Sout Pesisir Selatan on 22 May 2024.
In the operation, two suspects were arrested, they were, EL (66) a villager of Baru Alang Rambah, Sub district of Basa Ampek Balai Tapan, and MD (30) a villager of Kumbung Talang Medan, Sub district of Lunang, Regency of South Pesisir. The two were arrested when having new planting and making path to plant palm oil by using excavator with the band Hitachi illegally.
The investigators found two enough evidences to EL and he was sentenced as the suspect. EL has been arrested in West Sumatera Police Department to get further investigation.
In the process of arrest, the team should face tough condition, it was raining and flood. One of the team members, Haryanto, Head of Forest Taskforce, UPTD KPHL Bukit Barisan should come to an end. As the result, the heavy tool was successfully secured by the investigator team and West Sumatera Police Department still search for the excavator that missed in the scene.
General Director of Legal Enforcement MEF, Rasio Ridho Sani said that the operation to arrest EL and his presence with police forest, Sustyo Iriyono in West Sumatera showed the commitment of MEF to follow up every environmental crime that would deliver losses for the people and escalate the natural disaster. “Forest damage would deliver losses for the people and escalate the natural disaster to happen. We have to fight it,” he said as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Tuesday (4/6/2024).
Rasio Ridho Sani also said that the suspect - EL did not work alone. He had instructed the investigators to follow up if any parties would involve in the forest damage in the Sub district of Basa Ampek Balai Tapan. "We would not stop at EL. We are still investigating other parties that have something to do with this crime,” he said.
EL would be suded by Chapter 92 paragraph (1) letter b juncto (jo) Chapter 17 paragraph (2) letter a Laws Number (No.) 18 / 2013 about Prevention and Eradication of Forest Damage or Pencegahan dan Pemberantasan Perusakan Hutan (P3H) that was substituted by in paragraph 4 Chapter 37 number 16 Chapter 92 paragraph (1) letter a Laws Number 6 / 2023 about Government Regulation in lieu of Law Number 2 / 2022 jo. Chapter 78 paragraph (2) jo. Chapter 50 paragraph (3) letter a Laws Number 41 / 1999 about Forestry, as it was substituted by in paragraph 4 Chapter 36 number 19 Chapter 78 paragraph (2) jo. Chapter 36 number 17 Chapter 50 paragraph (2) letter a Laws Number 11 / 2020 about Cipta Kerja with the longest arrest for 10 years and fine 5 billion rupiah for the most.
Rasio Ridho Sani emphasized that EL and other parties involved in the crime would be charged including in environmental crime, forest fire, and forest encroachment crime. “I delivered orders to investigate the case that would involve investigators from General Directorate of Law Enforcement in Jakarta. There would be charges in the crime, such as, money laundry and would target who got the benefits from the money,” he said.
Meanwhile, Head of Forestry Agency West Sumatera Province, Yozwardi said that the operation would be the synergy and collaboration among MEF, Forestry Agency West Sumatera Province and Wes Sumatera Police Department. “We do appreciate the supports from MEF and the police in the operation. We lost our best forest official, Haryanto when securing the suspects,” he said.
Yozwardi continued, protecting the forest and lives of the people is our same efforts. “We would not stop fighting every crime in forest region in Tapan,” he said. (T2)
