Ministry Of Transportation Takes Action On 11 Business Entities Allegedly Participating In Causing South Tapanuli Floods

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) has taken action against a total of 11 business entities in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra, which allegedly played a role in the floods and landslides that hit the area.

"Currently, the total legal subjects that have been sealed and/or field verification by the Ministry of Forestry are 11 entities, namely four corporations and seven PHAT (Residential Rights Holders)," said Minister of Forestry (Menhut) Raja Juli Antoni as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, December 11.

The four companies are PT TPL, PT AR, PT TBS/PT SN, and PLTA BT/PT NSHE, and seven PHAT namely JAM, AR, RHS, AR, JAS, DHP, and M.

The Ministry of Transportation has taken action against the number of business entities, including the latest, namely three PHAT JAS, AR, and RHS.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) of the Ministry of Law and Forestry also carried out field verification and TKP processing at the corporate location of PT TBS/PT SN and PLTA BT/PT NSHE and found warning signs from the Forest Area Control Task Force (PKH) at the location.

Based on the results of the investigation, it is suspected that there has been a criminal act of harvesting or collecting forest products in the forest without the rights or approvals of the competent authorities.

The Ditjen Gakkum Forestry team is collecting evidence to determine the ecosystem network of criminals and the modus operandi of the destruction of the forest area ecosystem which has an impact on the hydrometeorological disasters of flash floods and landslides in South Tapanuli Regency.

At PHAT on behalf of JAM, the team of the Directorate General of Law and Human Rights of Forestry found several pieces of evidence allegedly related to illegal activities of harvesting or collecting forest products in the forest, namely around 60 round logs, 150 processed logs, one unit of heavy excavator equipment.

Then one unit of bulldozer was damaged, one unit of a damaged wooden truck, two units of split engine, one unit of palm engine, and one unit of drilling machine.

The Directorate General of Law and Human Rights will investigate the connection between the findings of evidence and the investigation that is being carried out on PHAT JAM regarding the findings of four trucks loaded with wood originating from the PHAT JAM location without legal documents being accompanied.

The Minister of Forestry explained, in order to strengthen the deepening of the PPNS Team, the Directorate General of Forestry Gakkum is coordinating with the South Tapanuli Regency Government in the process of securing evidence.

"We hope that the local government can support the Directorate General of Forestry Gakkum in law enforcement on this case considering the impact of this crime is extraordinary in addition to causing damage to the forest ecosystem as well as sacrificing the safety of the people," said King Juli Antoni.