Menhut Promises to Help KPK Investigate the Forest Permit Case that Traps the Regent of Kuansing

Menhut Raja Juli Antoni during a press conference regarding the clarification of the issue of his involvement in the KPK OTT of the Regent of Kuansing in Jakarta, Friday (3/7/2026). ANTARA/Lintang Budiyanti Prameswari.

JAKARTA - Minister of Forestry (Menhut) Raja Juli Antoni emphasized his full support for all efforts to eradicate corruption, responding to his involvement in the KPK OTT against the Regent of Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing), Riau, Suhardiman Amby.

The results of the KPK's in-depth investigation of the Regent of Kuantan also involved a case of alleged gratification related to the management of the release of limited production forest areas (HPT).

"Regarding the case of the Regent of Kuansing who was OTT because of buying and selling positions, but in the deepening of the KPK, it is also related to the release of the area (forest) in Kuansing, for that I want to respond to the public. We as the Ministry of Forestry, especially I as the Minister of Forestry fully support all efforts to eradicate corruption in this republic. We will help the KPK, we will cooperate," he said in a press conference in Jakarta, Friday, July 3, reported by ANTARA.

Menhut emphasized that he was committed and had good intentions to help the law enforcement process and eradicate corruption, considering that he personally admitted that he was raised in the tradition of community organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), anti-corruption politics, and anti-bribery.

"I was also awarded a family that was very anti-corruption. For this, once again, today I am committed to good faith, and cooperative, with the KPK to uncover the full extent of what happened," he said.

Raja Juli continued, the good faith to fight corruption is also the main order of President Prabowo Subianto, especially related to his position as Minister of Finance to create anti-corruption forest governance.

"As a minister, I am entrusted to create a forest governance system that is certainly anti-corruption, anti-bribery, accountable, transparent, and once again, we appreciate what the KPK is doing, we help, we cooperate, because this is part of us. improving if there is indeed a problem," he said.

Previously, the KPK investigated the role of the Ministry of Finance in the alleged gratification case related to the management of the release of limited production forest areas (HPT) involving the Regent of Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing) Suhardiman Amby.

Acting Director of KPK Investigation Achmad Taufik Husein said the deepening was carried out because the authority to release the HPT area was at the Ministry of Finance, while the regional head only gave recommendations.

"The regional head only gives recommendations because the local government knows the spatial layout and location. Furthermore, the approval or rejection is the authority of the Ministry of Forestry," he said.

Taufik said investigators also investigated the meeting between Suhardiman Amby and Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni on June 2, 2026 as part of the investigation process.