Lawyer says BI should pay for felling trees

JAKARTA (JP): An environmental lawyer is backing the city administration's plan to sue Bank Indonesia for illegally cutting down trees along Jl. Budi Kemulyaan and Jl. Kebon Sirih, which are adjacent to the central bank's headquarters.

Head of the environmental division at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH), Waskito Adiribowo, said the city administration could ask the court to award compensation for losses suffered from the felling.

"If the judges rule in favor of the city administration, it would be a good precedent for environmental law enforcement in the future," Waskito told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He said the existing bylaw only carried a maximum sentence of three months in jail or a fine of up to Rp 50,000 (US$6.40) for illegally cutting trees under the supervision of the city administration.

"It's too small, especially for the central bank. The city should ask for more compensation," he said.

"And I'm sure the judges will consider the demand."

Head of the Central Jakarta park agency Agung Sukaton said on Friday that his office was planning to sue the central bank for cutting down at least three trees.

He said his office would soon file a lawsuit with the Central Jakarta District Court to demand that the bank plant new trees.

"We do not want money. We want the central bank to plant the same size and type of trees at the location.

"It is because anybody can afford to pay for the compensation."

He noted the case of a private company which was ordered to pay Rp 60 million compensation for felling a tree measuring 30 centimeters in diameter.

"The compensation is not significant if compared with that charged by neighboring Singapore for a similar violation, amounting to about Rp 500 million."

Agung said Bank Indonesia violated City Decree No. 11/1988 on public order.

"We warned the bank not to continue its tree-cutting plan. But they ignored our warning," he said.

"Our officers found last Monday that the trees had been cut down."

Agung alleged that an employee of the bank offered him a Rp 2 million bribe to drop the complaint.

He acknowledged that the bank previously asked the city administration's permission to cut down the trees, which were an average diameter of 30 centimeters and 10 meters high. It was rejected.

Central bank spokesman Iwan declined to comment on the matter on Saturday. (jun)