Bareskrim Polri Visits East Kalimantan Police to Follow Up on Illegal Mining Case at Former Hotel Tirta
In order to follow up on the progress of the handling of the alleged illegal mining and environmental destruction case in the former Hotel Tirta area, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, the Investigation Supervision Team (Wasidik) of the Bareskrim of the Indonesian National Police has directly visited the East Kalimantan Regional Police (Polda Kaltim).
The arrival of the Wasidik team is a follow-up to a special case review previously held at the Bareskrim Headquarters on 30 April 2026. This review was initiated following a complaint from convict Rohmat Harsono and his legal counsel regarding the alleged involvement of other parties in the case that led to Rohmat’s conviction.
“From the beginning, we have reported alleged criminal acts in the mineral and coal sector (minerba) involving several parties. However, in the ongoing legal process, only my client has been named a suspect and sentenced to two years in prison,” explained Rohmat’s lawyer, Efi Maryono, on Tuesday.
He added that they are seeking justice because these actions were not performed by Rohmat alone. His client was reportedly working under the orders and permission of the landowner, yet those allegedly involved have not been touched by the law. Because the report failed to show significant progress at the regional level, the matter was escalated to the Bares_wasidik Bureau of the National Police Headquarters.
This step led to a special case review involving the complainants, legal counsel, the reported parties, and Rohmat, who participated via video link from a correctional facility. “In that special case review, several findings emerged that align with what we have been reporting, namely the existence of other parties believed to be responsible for this case,” he said.
Regarding the arrival of the Wasidik Team at Polda Kaltim, Efi stated that it has the potential to produce recommendations or directions for investigators at the Special Crimes Directorate to follow up on findings from the review. He believes the emergence of new suspects is highly probable if all facts revealed during the trial and the review are thoroughly addressed.
“There is certainly a possibility of new suspects. This criminal act could not have been carried out by one person alone. It involves many people, and we hope all responsible parties are processed according to the law,” he asserted. He also expressed hope that the legal process would be transparent and not merely target field workers, ensuring that all guilty parties are processed so the public can see that law enforcement is being applied fairly.
One of the complainants, Nizar Firdaus, urged law enforcement to immediately take action against those he believes are the main actors in the illegal mining activities in the area. According to Nizar, Rohmat is merely a victim of activities allegedly controlled by others. “Hengki and others must be arrested because Rohmat is only a victim of their illegal ‘Galian C’ mining activities. These activities forced my family to relocate and have impacted the environment in the surrounding area,” said Nizar.
He hopes that the legal process, which has now gained direct attention from the National Police Headquarters, will uncover all responsible parties. The case of alleged illegal mining and environmental destruction at the former Hotel Tirta area previously led to Rohmat Harsono being sentenced to two years in prison. However, complainants and legal counsel believe other parties played significant roles and must be held legally accountable.