- Antara/ Jafkhairi
VIVAnews – 12 timber and oil palm businessmen in Riau were identified by the Ministry of Forestry to have destroyed lands and forests. They will be named as suspects for causing the nation to lose trillions of rupiahs.
This information was revealed by the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (Dirjen PHKA) of the Ministry of Forestry, Darori, to VIVAnews while signing a MoU with Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) about Sumatran Tiger conservation in Riau.
The identification over the businessmen was a result of a collaboration between the District Attorney, Police and Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK). “We visited Riau several days ago. So far there are 12 suspects,” he said.
He said he hoped that the 12 suspects will receive maximum punishment, or at least a minimum of 5 years in prison. Earlier, people who destroyed forests were only punished with 3 months of imprisonment and other minor punishments.
“We're hoping that the punishment will be as severe as Torganda, or even more, because the total damage reached Rp20 trillion,” he said.
He can’t confirm whether the 12 businessmen have any involvement with Riau’s officials. “It is possible, depending on the development. For example, 12 local leaders were involved in similar case in Kalimantan,” he explained.
Darori refused to give information about the businessmen and their companies.
Meanwhile, in relation with the tiger conservation, APP and the Ministry of Forestry have agreed to support the conservation of Sumatran Tiger.
This commitment is demonstrated by the signing of a MOU between both parties and this has become the spearhead of the Ministry’s efforts for the conservation.
“It is time for private sectors to involve in tiger conservation. The government will continue develop the tigers’ conservation because the only remaining Sumatran Tigers live in Indonesia. Javanese Tigers and Balinese Tigers are extinct. There were no pictures of these species left,” said Darori.
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Coverage by: Ali Azumar | Riau
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