Investigative team alleges 'GS' behind mangrove case
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.