New four lawsuits target forest burners

JAKARTA. Indonesian government will file at least for new civil lawsuits against companies that allegedly responsible for the forest fires.

The Director General of Environmental Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Rasio Ridha Sani that government will file an IDR 450 billion to 7 trillion for each case.

“We will disclose the name of the companies after we bring the case to the court,” Rasio said on Thursday (1/9).

According to Rasio, the Ministry is now preparing the requirements and dossiers to file the lawsuits into the court.

In a Limited Meeting on Forest Fire recently, President Joko Widodo had ordered the related ministers to take firm actions against forest burners in order to create deterrent effect and legal certainty.

“The administration, civil, and criminal sanctions must be imposed to create legal certainty and fulfill public’s sense of justice”, President said.

Legal Team

Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya said that the ministry will strengthen its legal team, including by involving the environment activists  in order to win the case.

In August 2016, the Ministrty of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) won a lawsuit against PT. National Sago Prima (NSP), the subsidiary of PT. Sampoerna Agro over the case of land and forest burning on the area of the company.

The South Jakarta court verdict on 11 August 2016 required the company to pay an IDR 319.17 billion of compensation, IDR 753 billion for restoration, as well as  IDR 426,000 for court fee.

As an information, KLHK filed lawsuit against NSP over land and forest burning on the area of 3,000 ha on the concession area of the company in Kepulauan Meranti Regency, Riau Province. The trial was conducted during 17 November 2015 until 11 August 2015.

KLHK also filed an IDR 491.03 billion lawsuit against PT. Jatim Jaya Perkasa (the subsidiary of Wilma Group) to North Jakarta court. The court verdict only required the company to pay IDR 29 billion for compensation and restoration. Therefore, KLHK will appeal to Jakarta high court.

KLHK also filed the lawsuit over land and forest burning on the concession area of PT. Waringin Agro Jaya to South Jakarta court. “We are also preparing four other lawsuits,” Ridho added without disclosing the name of the companies. (Translator: Muhammad Farid)

 

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