Green law enforcement sought

Green law enforcement sought

JAKARTA: The Office of the State Minister of the Environment,
the Attorney General's Office and the National Police plan to set
up an integrated office that will enable them to work together to
enforce the Environment Law, a minister says.

Environment minister Nabiel Makarim said on Tuesday the move
was inspired by the fact that many cases of environmental
destruction were left unpunished.

He said of nine cases brought to the court last year, five
were rejected by the district court, two cases were lost at the
high court, and two cases had not been heard in court.

The integrated office is expected to improve coordination
among officials, Nabiel said.

The three government institutions will sign a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) on the matter in February, with the
implementation set for May.

Nabiel said his office had reported violations of the
Environment Law, including pollution and forest fires, involving
18 companies to the police. -- Antara