Aziz Wellang Opens His Voice About Playing Domino With The Minister Of Forestry, Calls The Illegal Logging Case SP3

Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (ANTARA/HO-Humas Kemenhut)

JAKARTA - Muhammad Aziz Wellang opened his voice on the news that he was still a suspect in a illegal logging case in the Katingan Forest area. Aziz Wellang's name was recently highlighted after news of him playing dominoes with the Indonesian Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni.

Aziz Wellang emphasized that the investigation into the logging case that had dragged him into a suspect had been stopped.

"It has been SP3 based on the Notice of Termination of Investigation on behalf of Muhammad Aziz Wellang No: S.01/BPPHLHK-IV.SWI/PPNS/02/2025 dated February 14, 2025," said Aziz Wellang in a written statement, Sunday, September 7.

The termination of this investigation, he continued, was also proven based on Pretrial Decision Number 13/Pid.Pra/2023/PN.Jkt.Pst.

"In the decision, it states that the determination of the suspect by the KLHK Law Enforcement investigator has been declared invalid according to law," said Aziz.

On that occasion, Aziz felt the news that he was a suspect in a wild logging case playing domino with King Juli which went viral on social media defamed him.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni also clarified that he was caught playing domino with Aziz Wellang, the owner of a concession area with 11,580 hectares in Central Kalimantan who had a case of illegal logging law.

Raja Juli admitted that at that time he received an invitation from the Minister of Protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI) Abdul Kadir Karding to come to the South Sulawesi Family Harmony Post (KKSS). Currently, Karding serves as secretary general.

"I discussed with Minister Karding alone in the back room for more than 2 hours. There was no theme of our discussion regarding the illegal logging case at all. Near 24.00 I said goodbye to him," said Raja Juli in his statement.

When he was about to go home, Raja Juli passed through the living room with quite a lot of people. Some of them were playing dominoes. King Juli and Karding were invited to participate in the game.

"After 2 rounds, I said goodbye to Minister Karding and many people in the living room," said Raja Juli.

Raja Juli claimed that while playing dominoes, he claimed he did not know the other two players. There was also no talk about any cases at the time.

"After this news circulated, I just found out that one of the people who took part in the game was Azis Wellang, who was reported as a wild logging player," he said.

The PSI secretary general also claimed that he did not open up a single space for anyone who violates the law in forest areas. He will enforce the law firmly against illegal logging indiscriminately.

"That's how I can actually convey, in fact, telling what really happened in the middle of the night a few days ago," he added.

Meanwhile, until now the Minister of P2MI Abdul Kadir Karding has not responded to the issue.