Mangrove felling suspects detained

Mangrove felling suspects detained

Evi Mariani, Jakarta

The Jakarta Police arrested on Monday three people suspected of
being behind the felling of more than 200 mangrove trees after
questioning them for several hours. They were arrested for
violating the Environmental Law, which carries a maximum sentence
of five years imprisonment.

"We detained them because our investigation revealed that the
three gave instructions to cut the mangrove trees," the city
police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo said.

The suspects are identified as Francis Moniaga from PT Rainbow
Cipta Utama ad agency, Agus Suseno from PT Grand Skylindo ad
agency and Purwadi from toll road operator PT Jasa Marga.

The three suspects were summoned on May 27 but none of them
showed up, citing various excuses. The police rescheduled the
questioning for Monday and immediately detained them.

Police investigators can immediately detain suspects if they
have strong evidence that the suspects have violated a law that
carries a sentence of at least five years imprisonment.

Prasetyo earlier said the three suspects would be charged
under Environment Law No. 23/1997, Law No. 5/1990 on conserving
natural resources and the ecosystem, as well as Law No. 41/1999
on forestry.

The three have been accused of instructing people to cut 240
mangrove trees in a protected mangrove forest along the Prof. Dr.
Sedyatmo toll road in North Jakarta, heading to the Soekarno-
Hatta International Airport.

The presence of mangrove trees, which grow in coastal and
swampy areas, is critical in helping reduce the impact of annual
flooding in the city, especially on the busy airport toll road.