Singaporean auditor to help investigate seven dredgers

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru

An independent audit team from Singapore is expected to arrive on Thursday in Tanjungbalai Karimun, Riau, to probe illegal dredging that has led to the detention of seven foreign dredgers.

Tanjungbalai Karimun Naval Base chief Maj. Purwanto said on Wednesday the team was invited by the Control and Supervisory Team on Sea Sand Business (TP4L) led by Minister of Maritime and Fishery Affairs Rohkmin Dahuri, following a dubious response from the dredgers's owners to results of an audit conducted by state company PT Surveyor Indonesia (SI) upon request of the local Customs and Excise Office.

Purwanto said the Singaporean team was expected to verify SI's findings.

"We will submit to the independent team all data on the illegal dredging by the foreign vessels. Once the auditors have the evidence, both the Customs and Excise Office and the police will reopen the investigation," he said.

Purwanto said that the dredgers' crew members deliberately disposed of their logbooks which recorded their activities.

The Navy detained seven foreign dredgers over illegal sand mining in Riau waters on July 24 and July 26. The Prosecutor's Office later only charged them with violating travel regulations, prompting the panel of judges to order them to pay a fine of Rp 30 million each.

But the Navy refused to release the dredgers, citing a request from the customs office.

Syamsul Rakan Chaniago, a lawyer representing the dredgers, has reprimanded the Navy for its move because it has detained the dredgers for a longer period than that allowed by law.

Purwanto said that the lawsuit was wrongly addressed because the dredgers were detained at the appeal of the local customs office which had not yet completed its investigation into the case.

"If we release the seven dredgers, then who should be held responsible for them and the case?" he queried.

Purwanto admitted that the local customs office currently was having difficulties conducting an investigation due to the lack of evidence on customs violations.

He said that the independent audit team would be assisted by First Admiral Tedjo Edhy, the chief of Maritime Security in Western Areas.