JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) has named former Head of the DKI Jakarta Environment Service Asep Kuswanto as a suspect in the case of waste management at the Bantargebang TPST. This determination was made after the waste landslide incident in March 2026 which killed seven people and injured six others.
Deputy Head of Environmental Law Enforcement KLH/BPLH Rizal Irawan said that this legal process is part of the government's efforts to ensure that waste management is carried out in accordance with regulations.
"This step is part of the government's commitment to ensure that waste management is carried out in accordance with norms, standards, procedures, and criteria (NSPK)," said Rizal, Tuesday, April 21.
This case began with a landslide of garbage in the Bantargebang Waste Management Center on March 8, 2026. The incident caused casualties and became an important point in the process of enforcing the law on waste management at the facility.
KLH/BPLH assessed that the incident showed serious negligence in waste management which directly impacted the safety of the community.
Based on the results of the investigation, Asep was named a suspect and charged with Article 41 paragraph (2) of Law Number 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp. 500 million.
In addition, he was also charged with Article 114 of Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning the Protection and Management of the Environment, with a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to Rp. 1 billion.
During the investigation process, the Environmental Civil Servant (PPNS) investigators have collected various evidence, ranging from witness statements, experts, documents, to laboratory test results. Examinations were also carried out on a number of regional officials and the managers of the Bantargebang TPST.
Rizal emphasized that criminal steps were not taken suddenly. The government had previously given time for guidance through the administrative sanction mechanism, but it was not responded to with adequate improvements.
"Handling this case is not necessarily done immediately through a criminal approach. We have given more than a year to coaching through existing mechanisms. It should be understood that law enforcement is not only through criminal sanctions, but also includes administrative sanctions that we have previously applied as part of the law enforcement process," said Rizal.
KLH/BPLH noted that the first administrative sanction was issued at the end of 2024. However, two inspections in April and May 2025 showed that the management of Bantargebang TPST was still in the "Non-compliant" status.
The government then issued a follow-up sanction in the form of an environmental audit obligation in September 2025. However, the results of the evaluation showed no significant improvement in the field.
Therefore, the handling of the case was upgraded to the criminal investigation stage through a joint case title with the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police and the Attorney General's Office in February 2026. The determination of the suspect was made on April 20, 2026 and the determination letter was delivered the day after.
In addition to providing a deterrent effect, the handling of this case is also expected to be a momentum for improving waste management comprehensively to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the future.
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