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.