State Losses In Illegal Water Drilling Cases In Gili Trawangan Involving NTB Provincial Government BUMDs Still Being Investigated

The Special Criminal Investigation Division (Reskrimsus) of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Regional Police (Polda) did not discuss state losses in handling cases of groundwater drilling without a permit or illegal in the Gili Trawangan tourist area.

"So, if the state losses handle the Tipikor Sub-Directorate, if we don't have one, there is something about the use of water resources, about the environmental impact on landwater drilling activities, that's all," said Head of Sub-Directorate IV for Criminal Investigation of the NTB Police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Police I Gede Harimbawa in Mataram, Thursday, May 2, confiscated by Antara.

He explained that the handling of cases of groundwater drilling without a permit led to alleged criminal violations in accordance with the rules of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 17 of 2019 concerning Water Resources.

The groundwater drilling activity was carried out by PT Berkat Air Laut (BAL) in collaboration with PT Gerbang NTB Emas (GNE), one of the regional-owned enterprises (BUMD) owned by the NTB Provincial Government (Pemprov).

Kedua perusahaan tercatat melakukan kerja sama pada tahun 2022 dalam kesepakatan penyediaan air bersih di kawasan wisata Gili Trawangan.

However, from the results of the investigation by the NTB Police, which began in 2023, an unlawful act was found that the activities of providing clean water through the groundwater drilling did not have a permit from the local government.

This can be seen from the local government's decision in mid-December 2022 which officially stopped PT BAL's activities with PT GNE in providing clean water on Gili Trawangan.

Harimbawa emphasized that the unlawful act in this activity was also strengthened by the testimony of criminal and geological experts.

"So, this landwater drilling activity without permission has been carried out by PT BAL for months, which has caused environmental impacts," he said.

By conveying this, investigators in this case named two suspects, namely the Director of PT BAL with the initials WJM from Switzerland and the Director of PT GNE with the initials SH.

Both were named as suspects by referring to the violation of Article 70 letter D in conjunction with Article 49 paragraph (2) of Law No. 6 of 2023 concerning Stipulation of Government Regulations in Lieu of Law no. 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation and/or Article 68 letters A and B as well as Article 69 letters A and B of Law no. 17 of 2019 concerning Water Resources jo. Article 56 of the 2nd Criminal Code.