KLHK Disrupt Director Of PT BMN With A 15-year Criminal Threat And IDR 10 Billion

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) ensnared illegal nickel miners with a threat of 15 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 10 billion for using illegal forest areas in Southeast Sulawesi.

The perpetrator of the illegal nickel mining is the Director of PT Bahari Mineral Nusantara (BMN) with the initials FKR (35).

"Furthermore, we have also carried out the Phase II process (submission of the suspect and evidence) to the prosecutor's office," said Head of Balai Gakkum KLHK Sulawesi Region Dodi Kurniawan in a statement received in Jakarta, Friday, November 18.

On November 9, 2022, the investigation file for the Balai Gakkum KLHK Sulawesi has been declared complete or P-21 by the public prosecutor.

Investigator Gakkum KLHK Sulawesi has handed over the suspect along with evidence to the public prosecutor of the Southeast Sulawesi High Prosecutor's Office.

The case involving the Director of BMN with the initials FKR is the case of working on and using illegal forest areas for illegal nickel mining activities that have resulted in environmental damage in the Lasolo Forest Production Forest Area, Mandodo Village, Molawe District, North Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi.

Dodi explained that the illegal prosecution of the use of forest areas for illegal nickel mining activities began with a joint operation to secure forests on August 11, 2022.

In this activity, the team secured evidence in the form of a sack of nickel ore samples from illegal mining, an excavator unit, and a double cabin car which is currently deposited in the Kendari City State Confiscation Property Storage House (Rupbasan).

"For this crime, the suspect FKR is threatened with a maximum imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum fine of Rp. 10 billion," said Dodi.

The Director General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Rasio Ridho Sani, said that the prosecution of suspects was a form of the government's seriousness and commitment to prevent environmental and forestry damage.

According to him, environmental and forestry damage is a serious and extraordinary crime because it damages the ecosystem, disrupts public health, and robs citizens' rights to get a good and healthy environment, and causes state losses.

"The Ministry of Environment and Forestry's commitment to law enforcement in order to realize the people's right to a good and healthy environment is very consistent," said Sani.

So far, the Directorate General of Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has brought 1,331 criminal and civil cases to court, both related to perpetrators of corporate and individual crimes.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry has also issued 2,549 administrative sanctions and carried out 1,884 forest prevention and security operations, as many as 720 of which are operations to restore forest area security.

"We hope that the handling of this case will be a lesson for other criminals. We will not stop taking action against criminals who have damaged the environment, caused harm to the community and harmed the state," concluded Sani.