JAKARTA - Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni gave an open explanation regarding his meeting with the Regent of Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing), Riau, after his name was associated with the post-operation of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
In a press conference held at the Ministry of Forestry Office, Friday, July 3, Raja Juli explained in detail the chronology of the audience with the Regent of Kuansing, the process of returning an envelope left behind after the meeting, to his confirmation that he never issued a decision to release forest areas in Kuantan Singingi Regency.
Raja Juli emphasized that his decision to explain to the public was a form of moral responsibility as well as the commitment of the Ministry of Forestry to fully support the process of eradicating corruption carried out by the KPK.
"We from the Ministry of Forestry, especially me as the Minister of Forestry, fully support all efforts to eradicate corruption in this republic. We will help the KPK, be cooperative, and today's meeting is my personal initiative as a form of good faith to help the law enforcement process," said Raja Juli.
He said that this commitment was in line with the President's mandate to build clean, transparent, accountable, and corruption-free forest governance.
"I was entrusted by the President to create forest governance, a forest governance that is anti-corruption, anti-bribery, accountable, and transparent. We appreciate what the KPK has done. We are ready to help because this is part of the improvement process in the Ministry of Forestry if there is indeed a violation," he said.
Raja Juli then explained that the meeting with the Regent of Kuantan Singingi took place on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, after the Regency Government of Kuantan Singingi officially applied for an audience with the Ministry of Forestry.
According to him, the entire process took place openly and according to procedure. The hearing was initiated by an official letter of request from the local government, published through the Ministry of Forestry's social media, and was accompanied by a list of attendees and a memorandum which were all ready to be submitted to the KPK if necessary.
"The meeting was an official audience. There was a letter of request, a list of attendees, a report, and it was published through the Ministry of Forestry's social media. All the documents are ready to be handed over to the KPK if needed," he said.
After the hearing was over, King Juli admitted that he had just found out about a sealed envelope left by the Regent of Kuantan Singingi. Without opening or knowing the contents of the envelope, he immediately ordered his aide to return it because he felt he had no right to the item.
"In the meeting, it turned out that the Regent of Kuantan Singingi left an envelope sealed with a map. When he left, I asked my aide to return the envelope. I don't know what it contains, but I feel I don't have a right to the envelope," he said.
He explained that the return of the envelope could not be done immediately because it coincided with the agenda of the service which required his aide to continue to accompany him.
After the Secretary General of the Ministry of Forestry issued a letter of assignment, Raja Juli then contacted the Riau Police Chief to help facilitate a meeting between his aide and the Regent of Kuantan Singingi.
The return of the envelope was finally carried out on June 12, 2026 at the Kuantan Singingi Police. The entire process was documented and equipped with a stamped receipt.
"I personally called the Riau Police Chief to help facilitate my aide meeting with the Regent of Kuantan Singingi at the Kuantan Singingi Police. This is my moral responsibility and my responsibility to the public as part of efforts to prevent gratification," he said.
Raja Juli emphasized that the return of the envelope was carried out about 17 days before the KPK carried out a hand-to-hand operation against the Regent of Kuantan Singingi.
In addition to explaining the chronology of the audience, Raja Juli also denied the alleged involvement of himself in the release of forest areas in Kuantan Singingi Regency.
He ensured that during his tenure as Minister of Forestry, he had never issued any decision to release forest areas in the region.
"There is not a single SK that I have issued for the release of forest areas in Kuantan Singingi. There is not an inch of forest area in Kuantan Singingi that I have issued as an Area of Other Use or APL," he said.
Closing his statement, Raja Juli reiterated that the Ministry of Forestry would continue to fully support the legal process carried out by the KPK while strengthening clean, transparent, and accountable forest governance.
"So once again, the envelope was returned 17 days before the OTT occurred. And not a single inch of forest area that I issued in Kuantan Singingi became APL," he concluded.
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