Mentawai Illegal Logging Case: Company Fined, Ordered to Pay Billions in Ecological Compensation
The Padang District Court has delivered its verdict against PT Berkah Rimba Nusantara (PT BRN) as a corporate defendant and Ichsan Marsal as its President Director in a criminal forestry case related to illegal logging on Sipora Island, Mentawai Islands Regency, West Sumatra. The panel of judges found the corporation legally and convincingly guilty of committing a forestry crime by harvesting timber without rights, cutting trees outside the permitted area, and transporting and possessing forest products without legal documents. PT BRN was sentenced to a fine of Rp 250 million and ordered to pay ecological compensation to the state amounting to Rp 78,113,363,077. The court also sentenced Ichsan Marsal to imprisonment for his role in the joint criminal activity.
Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Forestry, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, emphasised that the ruling serves as a critical reminder that forest destruction carries legal and ecological consequences that must be accounted for. He stated that when trees are felled illegally, what is lost is not just the wood but also the ecological functions that protect water, soil, and the microclimate, ensuring the safety and living space of the community. The case originated from a law enforcement operation in the Sipora Forest by the Ministry’s Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement within the Forest Area Control Task Force. Investigations revealed that PT BRN’s timber harvesting extended beyond its permitted plots, with tree stumps found in the Sipora Permanent Production Forest. The ministry also intercepted a shipment of 1,197 logs with a volume of 4,610.16 cubic metres at Gresik Port.
Director of Criminal Forestry Enforcement, Rudianto Saragih Napitu, explained that the case was built on the traceability of the timber from the felling point to the final destination. He noted that when any part of the chain is inconsistent, investigators must determine whether it is an administrative error or a pattern of concealing the origin of the wood. The court ordered the confiscation of 26 units of heavy equipment and operational vehicles, the seized logs, and related cash. The Ministry of Forestry respects the court’s decision and urged local governments, law enforcement, businesses, and the public to help maintain the traceability of forest products and report any indications of illegal logging or document manipulation.