The Ministry of Forestry, through the Sumatra Regional Forestry Law\nEnforcement Agency, has officially handed over a suspect in an illegal\nlogging case, identified by the initials BS (alias BG, 50), along with\nevidence to the Solok District Attorney. This second phase of the legal\nprocess follows the completion of the investigation files (P-21) by the\nSolok District Attorney\u2019s investigators. This action aligns with the\ncommitment of Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni to strengthen law\nenforcement and take decisive action against practices that damage\nnational forests.<\/p>\n
During the handover, the Ministry of Forestry seized evidence\nincluding three units of heavy machinery, 152 logs with a total volume\nof 237.53 cubic metres, and supporting documents related to the alleged\nunauthorised forest harvesting activities in the Solok Regency, West\nSumatra. The investigation into BS, acting as an authorised\nrepresentative, is a follow-up to the Illegal Logging and Forest Product\nCirculation Operation in Solok Regency conducted in August 2025.<\/p>\n
The Head of the Sumatra Forestry Law Enforcement Agency, Hari\nNovianto, explained that the case originated from community reports\nregarding forest encroachment in the upstream water catchment area of\nthe Batang Bayang River, Alahan Panjang, Lembah Gumanti, Solok Regency.\nField verifications revealed tree felling outside official permit areas\ncovering approximately 83.31 hectares, with a total log transport volume\nof 11,299.81 cubic metres. The use of heavy machinery, such as\nbulldozers and excavators, in steep terrain is considered a strong\npotential trigger for flash floods in the West Sumatra region.<\/p>\n
The suspect had previously filed a pretrial motion at the Koto Baru\nDistrict Court in October 2025, but the judge rejected all requests,\nallowing the legal process to proceed to this handover stage. The\nDirector General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho,\nexpressed appreciation for the support from the West Sumatra Regional\nPolice and the West Sumatra High Prosecutor\u2019s Office, stating that this\ncase exposure is a gateway to slowing forest degradation and reducing\nflood risks. He emphasised the hope for maximum sentencing to serve as a\ndeterrent.<\/p>\n
For the offence of harvesting forest products without authorisation\nfrom competent officials, the suspect faces charges under Article 78\nparagraph (6) in conjunction with Article 50 paragraph (2) letter c of\nLaw Number 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry, as amended by Law Number 6 of\n2023 on Job Creation. The suspect faces a maximum prison sentence of\nfive years and a maximum fine of Rp3.5 billion.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/illegal-logging-suspect-handed-over-to-solok-district-attorney-facing-five-years-in-prison-1785560044", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }