Kaligis: PT Position Allegedly Mining Without Permission, Gakkum Don't Be Silent

JAKARTA - PT Wana Kencana Mineral (WKM) attorney, Otto Cornelis Kaligis, urged the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement (Gakkum) to immediately raise the case of alleged illegal mining by PT Position in East Halmahera to the investigation stage.

According to Kaligis, the official letter has been sent to the Balai Gakkum Kehutanan for the North Maluku and Papua Regions, as a follow-up to the letter of the Director General of Law and Human Rights dated August 27, 2025.

"I, as the attorney of PT WKM, acted to dismantle the mining mafia which is also President Prabowo's attention. Please investigate the PT Position case that criminalizes PT WKM immediately," said Kaligis in his statement, Saturday, September 6.

He emphasized that the results of the investigation of Gakkum Kehutanan proved that PT Position was mining without a permit in the concession area belonging to PT WKM. This fact is contained in the Number ST.136/GakkumHUT.II/GKM.01.03/TU/B/2025 on 29 April 3 May 2025. "The conclusion is clear, PT Position is carrying out illegal mining. But until now the case has stopped at the discussion table," he said.

Kaligis also highlighted the injustice of law enforcement. The North Maluku Police had stopped the case for civil reasons. However, when the case continued to the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Police, two employees of PT WKM, Badminton Hafidz and Marsel Bialembang, were made defendants related to the installation of boundary markers.

"Installation of stakes is punished, while illegal nickel theft is allowed. There are indications of a conflict of interest," he said.

Kaligis even mentioned the name of mining entrepreneur Kiki Barki, the owner of PT Position, who is considered to have a big influence and closeness to the legal apparatus. "This is because the Position case is not working, instead PT WKM is the victim of criminalization," he said.

Apart from being addressed to Gakkum, Kaligis' letter was also copied to President Prabowo Subianto, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, Governor of North Maluku Sherly Tjoanda Laos, to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

"If the KPK intervenes, the game behind this dispute will definitely be open. Law enforcement should not be selective," he said.

Kaligis closed his statement with the insistence that Gakkum dare to take firm action against illegal mining cases. "We hope that the courage of Gakkum in mining cases can be like the Attorney General's Office uncovering major corruption. The law must be enforced fairly, indiscriminately," he said.