Investigative team alleges 'GS' behind mangrove case

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta

An investigative team assigned to look into the illegal felling of 240 mangrove trees along the Jl. Prof. Sedyatmo toll road in North Jakarta, which connects Jakarta and the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, hinted that an advertising firm, identified only as GS, was involved in the case.

"Our preliminary investigation led to the company because it was the one that erected the billboards along the toll road where toppled mangrove trees were discovered," team head Hans Hadnan Sasongko told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He said his team had summoned the company's top executive for questioning, but the executive had asked for a delay due to business commitments.

"Perhaps the executive will come on Monday for questioning," he said.

Hadnan said the team had yet to declare any suspects in the case.

"We don't have any eyewitnesses who can make statements over the illegal felling (of mangrove trees) and shed light on the case," he said.

The absence of witnesses could hamper the investigation, since the only evidence so far is the felled trees, he said.

According to Hadnan, GS allegedly erected the billboards after it received permission from PT Rainbow Cipta Utama, which has the right to manage billboards in the area.

"Toll road operator PT Jasa Marga has given Rainbow the right to manage billboards there," he added.

However, another source with the investigative team -- the members of which comprise civil investigators of the Jakarta Agriculture and Forestry Agency, North Jakarta Police and Jakarta Police -- said the police had a key witness in the case.

"But I'm not sure if the witness is the person who helped clean up the felled trees or those involved in the cutting," the source said.

Agriculture and forestry agency head Peni Susanti said the investigation was progressing at a snail's pace because the team had to be very careful in building a case.

"We don't want the investigation to backfire if we fail to build a strong case against the suspects," she said.