The National Police is preparing a life sentence in the Tapsel Flood Case

JAKARTA - The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Dittipidter) of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police has prepared the harshest legal steps against perpetrators of environmental crimes suspected of being the trigger for the massive flood disaster in South Tapanuli (Tapsel), North Sumatra.

The investigators did not hesitate to open the possibility of applying life imprisonment, in the case of money laundering (TPPU), to corporate criminal liability.

The Director of Criminal Investigation of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police, Brigadier General Irhamni, emphasized that law enforcement in this case would not stop at administrative violations or the Environmental Law alone.

"We will implement all available legal instruments. Starting from criminal offenses with life imprisonment, TPPU, to individual and corporate criminal liability," Irhamni told the media, Tuesday, December 16, 2025.

Irhamni explained that the handling of the case was carried out seriously and integrated through intensive coordination with the Directorate D of the Attorney General's Office for General Crimes (Jampidum) of the Attorney General's Office, this was a direct follow-up to the Attorney General's order.

"We are together with Director D Jampidum following up on the leadership's order to handle the flood disaster, with the main focus in South Tapanuli," he explained.

In the coordination process, investigators presented various field facts, the results of expert examinations, and the overall development of the investigation. The investigating prosecutor was also involved from the beginning so that he could understand the factual conditions of the case in its entirety.

"Our investigating prosecutor was involved from the beginning to understand the facts on the ground, so that later it will facilitate the prosecution process and there will be no back and forth files," said Irhamni.

According to Irhamni, the government is paying serious attention because this case is categorized as an extraordinary criminal act that has a wide impact on society and the environment.

"The government provides extraordinary resources, both human resources and budgets, because this is an extraordinary case," he said.

He added that all legal provisions that are possible will be applied to the maximum extent, as long as they are supported by valid evidence.

"All the rules that can be used will be applied to trap the perpetrators," he said.

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Meanwhile, Director D at the Attorney General's Office of JAM Pidum, Sugeng Riyanta, emphasized that the alleged environmental crimes in the South Tapanuli and Central Tapanuli regions could not be seen as ordinary violations.

According to him, this act is suspected to be the direct cause of the flood disaster.

"This is not just a criminal act against the environment. Initial facts show a causal relationship with the occurrence of the disaster," he said.

The Prosecutor's Office, continued Sugeng, has received a Notification of the Commencement of Investigation (SPDP) from the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police regarding the case allegedly committed by a corporation.

He emphasized that law enforcement officers had agreed that there was one criminal incident with real and undeniable evidence, events, and victims. The next stage is to formalize these facts into legal facts to be brought to court.

"Our task with the investigators is to determine this event legally and bring it to trial," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of coordination in accordance with the new KUHAP mandate, especially Articles 58 to 62, which regulate the involvement of public prosecutors from the investigation stage.

"The goal is for law enforcement to run with quality, without sectoral ego, and without harming the interests of justice," he said.

Furthermore, Sugeng emphasized that the main focus of law enforcement was corporate accountability, especially related to the recovery of environmental damage, which was considered very large.

"This disaster is extraordinary. There are many victims, the environmental damage is also very large. Corporations must be held accountable," he said.

He referred to Article 112 of the Environmental Law, which requires the corporate perpetrators of damage to carry out restoration and compensate for environmental losses.

"We will optimize this provision. Corporations are obliged to recover the damage caused," he said.

Sugeng expressed optimism that this case could be completed thoroughly and meet the sense of justice of the community, as well as being part of the implementation of the President's order.

"We believe that this case can be resolved and is the hope of the community to obtain justice," he concluded.