East Lombok Iron Sand Mine Corruption Allegation, NTB Prosecutor's Office Examine PT Semen Baturaja Officials

The High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). (Antara)

LOMBOK TIMUR - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) High Prosecutor's Office conducted an examination of the technical officials of PT Semen Baturaja, as a company buying materials in the case of alleged corruption in the iron sand mining business in the Dedalpak Block, East Lombok Regency.

"Yes, those who are being examined are from technical officials. The examination is accompanied by a legal team (company legal advisers)," said NTB Attorney Spokesman Efrien Saputera in Mataram, NTB, Thursday, February 16, confiscated by Antara.

Efrien, who is the spokesperson for the NTB Prosecutor's Office, did not know for what purpose investigators conducted an examination of the company that purchased the iron sand material.

Likewise, the correlation with PT Anugerah Mitra Graha (AMG) which conducts mining in the Dedalpak Block.

"In that matter, investigators have the authority to answer. We don't know about it," said Efrien.

Even so, Efrien said the examination was part of investigators' efforts to trace criminal indications in the process of tracing the role of the suspect.

"What is certain, this examination is part of the investigation process," he said.

In this series of investigations, Efrien said the prosecutor's office had examined a number of regional officials and former officials, namely NTB Regional Secretary Lalu Gita Ariadi, East Lombok Regent M. Sukiman Azmy, former East Lombok Regent M. Ali Bin Dachlan, and a number of officials from the Energy and Mineral Resources Office NTB Mineral Resources (ESDM).

"So, in the investigation process, seven people have been examined as witnesses," he said.

The special criminal investigator prosecutor handled this case based on an order from the Head of the NTB Prosecutor's Office Number: Print-01/N.2/Fd.1/01/2023, on January 18, 2023.

In this case, it was also revealed that PT AMG from North Jakarta was the company that carried out iron sand mining in the Dedalpak Block.

The company was revealed to be carrying out business activities in accordance with the Decree of the East Lombok Regent Number: 2821/503/PPT.II/2011 concerning Approval of Increasing Exploration Mining Business Permits (IUP) to IUP Operations Production of Iron Sand Minerals and Follower Minerals in the Dedalpak Block, Pringgabaya District and Labuhan Haji District, East Lombok Regency.

The decision letter number: 2821/503/PPT.II/2011 was issued when M. Sukiman Azmy was East Lombok Regent for the 2008-2013 period.

In the statement of the letter, the Regent of East Lombok issued a decision to upgrade the Exploration IUP to Production Operation of Iron Sand and Follower Minerals in the Dedalpak Block for PT AMG over an area of ​​1,348 hectares based on a request from the main director of PT AMG.

The East Lombok Regent in the decree agreed to increase the IUP for PT AMG based on the results of an evaluation which stated that the exploration activities had met the requirements. The decree is valid for a period of 15 years until 2026 with a recommendation for an extension of two periods. One period for a period of 10 years.

Based on the decree, PT AMG conducts mining and processing activities using a magnetic separation system, namely the process of separating valuable minerals from impurities using the principle of magnetic attraction.

Apart from PT AMG, PT Varia Usaha Beton (VUB) has also appeared, which is involved in processing stone crushers in Pringgabaya Utara Village, Pringgabaya District. PT VUB carries out its business activities on the land with the capital of a Special Mining Business Permit (IUPK) for Processing.

Then in 2014, a decree appeared for the relocation of PT AMG mines located in Anggaraksa Village, Pringgabaya District, and Korleko Village, Labuhan Haji District, to Ijobalit Village and Suryawangi Village in Labuhan Haji District.

The decree was issued when M. Ali Bin Dachlan served as Regent of East Lombok for the 2013-2018 period. According to Ali Bin Dachlan's claim, he issued a relocation decree with reference to the East Lombok Regent's Decree for PT AMG in 2011.

Because in the Decree of 2011, it has been regulated about regional reserves. PT AMG also proposed relocation because there was no iron sand found in the Anggaraksa and Korleko areas.

However, Ali Bin Dachlan said that since the issuance of a relocation decree issued in 2014, PT AMG has never carried out iron sand mining at the two new locations due to rejection from the community.

The government followed up the action against mining activities by the community by revoking the relocation decree. The relocation decree was revoked by the NTB Provincial Government in 2018, as the holder of authority regarding permits.

In 2021, it was revealed that the West Nusa Tenggara Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Office was carrying out monitoring and evaluation activities on the mining permits for PT AMG and PT VUB.

The results of government monitoring and evaluation indicated that the two companies no longer had permits.