Mangrove case stalled again

Mangrove case stalled again

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta Police investigators were puzzled upon seeing their 500-
page case files on suspects in a mangrove felling case returned
on Monday by the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office without any
explanation.

"It is the third time that the prosecutor's office have
returned the case files. Previously, they explained to us what
corrections we should make. This time, they didn't say anything,"
the city police environment department chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ahmad
Haydar said on Friday.

The police submitted the case files of three suspects --
Francis Moniaga of PT Rainbow Cipta Utama advertising agency,
Agus Suseno of PT Grand Skylindo advertising agency and Purwadi
of toll road operator PT Jasa Marga -- to the prosecutor's office
on July 12.

But the case files were returned a week later, with notes
saying the police should go to the scene to measure the land for
a second time to prove that the site, where the mangrove trees in
the protected forest grew, did not belong to PT Jasa Marga.

"We did the second measurement and came up with the same
results," Haydar said.

The second time the prosecutor's office returned the case
files, they told the police to question one witness and one of
the suspects for the second time.

"We summoned them again and attached the result of the
questioning in the case files," he added. But, the case files
were still returned to the police.

Jakarta Prosecutor's Office spokesman Haryono said he could
not comment on the mangrove case files as he had not yet received
reports on the matter.

"I have not heard about it," he told The Jakarta Post.

Police said the three suspects allegedly played a major role
in the felling of 240 mangrove trees along the Prof. Dr. Sedyatmo
toll road in North Jakarta in April. The trees were felled to
give space for billboards and ensure they could be seen from the
road.

If prosecuted, the suspects may be charged with violating Law
No. 23/1997 on the environment and Law No. 5/1990 on conserving
natural resources and the ecosystem, as well as Law No. 41/1999
on forestry. The laws carry a minimum prison term of five years
for violators.

"We have collected enough evidence. We have even questioned
three experts from reputable universities to support the
evidence," Haydar said.

The drawn-out investigation could give reason to the lawyers
of the suspects to request the police to let them walk free
without trial.