Prosecutors arrest North Sumatra plantation tycoon<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) arrested the founder and
\npresident of plantation company PT Torganda, Daulat L. Sitorus,
\nfor converting a protected forest into a plantation.<\/p>\n
AGO spokesman RJ Soehandojo told The Jakarta Post that the
\nplantation tycoon was taken into custody by the AGO late on
\nTuesday in Medan, North Sumatra, and immediately taken to Jakarta
\nfor questioning.<\/p>\n
\"The suspect is being questioned right now. There is a
\npossibility that officials from related offices, such as the
\nNational Land Agency (BPN), might be involved,\" Soehandojo said
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Daulat has been charged with illegally transforming some
\n30,000 hectares of protected forest belonging to the state in
\nNorth Sumatra's South Tapanuli regency into an oil palm
\nplantation.<\/p>\n
There is suspicion that BPN officials are involved in the
\ncrime in that PT Torganda was issued a permit for the land.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Minister of Forestry MS Kaban was quoted as saying
\nby Antara that state losses in the case could reach Rp 30.4
\nbillion (about US$3.04 million). He did not elaborate.<\/p>\n
He also said that Daulat should automatically be charged with
\nillegal logging as he had cleared land in the Padang Lawas
\nprotected forest by fire.<\/p>\n
Soehandojo said he had not received any information from the
\nprosecutors on when the crime had taken place or how Daulat had
\nobtained control of the protected forest, but according to the
\nMinistry of Forestry, it began in 1998.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Hendarman (Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes
\nHendarman Supandji) told me he had ordered North Sumatra
\nProsecutor's Office head Wisnu Subroto to arrest Daulat,\"
\nSoehandojo said.<\/p>\n
An arrest warrant for Daulat was issued by the AGO on July 4,
\nbut he was only captured on Tuesday afternoon at a hotel in
\nPematang Siantar, some 100 kilometers from Medan.<\/p>",
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