Stiffer punishments sought for polluters
Stiffer punishments sought for polluters
JAKARTA (JP): Members of the City Council urged judges yesterday to impose heavier penalties on companies found guilty of violating environment laws in order to give police more reason to investigate delinquent companies.
Bandjar Marpaung, chairman of the City Council's Commission D on development, said the police are reluctant to investigate pollution cases due to the light sentences frequently issued by judges.
"I do urge the judges handling trials of pollution cases to give heavier sentences to those proven guilty, because light punishment has discouraged investigation of these cases," Bandjar said after a meeting between members of the City Council, City Police officers and the City Environment Protection Office.
Punishment is reportedly not commensurate with the amount of time and energy spent by police investigating polluters.
He cited as an example the 1992 trial of PT Menara Jaya, a bicycle wheel producing factory in Ciracas, East Jakarta, whose owners were sentenced to only three months in prison and fined Rp 500,000 (US$227.27) for environmental damages.
One of the most rampant forms of pollution is the dumping of industrial waste into rivers, which not only damages the environment but brings disease upon those who utilize the river for their daily needs.
"Please punish them with maximum sentences in line with the degree of their infraction," Bandjar said.
Code No. 5/1984 on industry stipulates that companies polluting the environment face a maximum fine of Rp 100 million and/or 10 years imprisonment.
Bandjar also urged the court to accept results from laboratory tests conducted by the City Environmental Protection Office. Their evidence, he said, will speed up the trial process because the national police laboratory takes far too long.
"The police laboratory tests samples from so many pollution cases that it takes a great deal of time," Bandjar said.
According to the City Environmental Protection Office, the number of pollution cases in the city has increased sharply from only three in 1992 to 25 cases in 1995.
Bandjar said the increase shows greater environmental awareness on the part of the public.
This year the city police have tested 19 samples from 25 pollution cases involving such Jakarta-based companies as Hotel Petamburan II, PT Sanyo, PT Wirantono Colt, PT Selayang Peluang, PT Pop Song, PT Cemani Toka, PT Indo Jaya, PT Sumber Mas Murni, PT Kalimas, PT Koremas Indonesian, PT Karpet Indonesia, PT Dwi Warna Indah, PT Elektro Platin, PT Noore, PT Ponodium and PT Indofermac. (yns)