The Central Jakarta District Court rejected all pretrial petition filed by Henoc Budi Setiawan from CV Sorong Timber Irian, a suspect in illegal logging cases in Papua Province, against the Directorate General of Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement (Ditjen Gakkum), Ministry of Environment and Forestry, 12 April 2019.

The Director General of Gakkum KLHK Rasio Ridho Sani welcomed the pretrial ruling in the Central Jakarta District Court. “The court’s decision is proof that our investigation is legally valid,” said Ratio Ridho Sani, in Jakarta, April 13, 2019.

A pretrial petition against the Director General of the Gakkum KHLK was submitted by the suspect on March 19, 2019 at the Central Jakarta District Court. Pretrial Case No 07 / Pid. PRAD / 2019 / PN.JKT.PST asked the Chairperson of the Central Jakarta District Court to declare “the determination of the suspect Henoc Budi Setiawan, the search and seizure by the Director General of Gakkum invalid,” and the suspect demanded compensation for all of that.

In a pretrial hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court, Friday, April 12, 2019, the judge decided to reject all pretrial petitions filed by Henoc Budi Setiawan on the grounds, “the investigation by the Director General of the Gakkum investigator was in accordance with legal procedures and provisions.” The judge in his decision strengthened the function and position of the pretrial institution which only examined formal evidence and refused to examine the subject matter

Furthermore, Ratio Ridho Sani said that the public prosecutor had stated the files of the suspect director of CV Alco Timber Irian and CV Sorong Timber Irian, Papua illegal timber cases, were complete, “We are awaiting trial at the Sorong District Court.”

“Law enforcement for cases of illegal logging is a priority agenda because it has harmed the country and resulted in environmental damage that became an ecological disaster,” said Ratio Ridho Sani.

This judicial review responds to the efforts of the Director General of Gakkum to carry out law enforcement operations on timber distribution which are not accompanied by valid documents. January 2019, Directorate General of Gakkum discovers the activity of transporting and unloading timber from Papua Province to ports in Surabaya and Makassar

From the investigation process with sufficient preliminary evidence, DG Gakkum has named several company leaders as suspects, including Director of CV Alco Timber Irian and CV Sorong Timber Irian namely Henoc Budi Setiawan alias Ming Ho.

Ridho Sani’s ratio also ensures that legal proceedings against illegal loggers questioned in Jakarta, Surabaya and Makassar will continue until they are declared complete by the public prosecutor.

Source: Indopos