JAKARTA - Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni confirmed that President Prabowo Subianto gave the mandate to the Ministry of Forestry to build clean, transparent, and corruption-free forest sector governance.
The confirmation was made by Raja Juli when giving clarification regarding the news regarding the hand-in-hand operation (OTT) against the Regent of Kuantan Singingi as well as issues related to the alleged release of forest areas.
According to Raja Juli, the Ministry of Forestry fully supports all efforts to eradicate corruption and is ready to cooperate with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in the law enforcement process.
"We from the Ministry of Forestry, especially me as the Minister of Forestry, fully support all efforts to eradicate corruption in this Republic. So we will help the KPK, we will cooperate, including this morning's meeting is my personal initiative as my good faith to help the law enforcement process and eradicate corruption," said Raja Juli.
He said this commitment was in line with President Prabowo's direction who wanted governance reform in the forestry sector through an accountable and transparent system.
"I was entrusted by the President to create forest governance, a forest governance that is anti-corruption, anti-bribery, accountable, and transparent," he said.
Raja Juli added that the Ministry of Forestry appreciated the steps taken by the KPK in investigating alleged criminal acts of corruption, including when it related to the forestry sector.
"And once again, what the KPK is doing, we appreciate it. We help the KPK because this is part of the process of reforming the Ministry of Forestry if there is indeed a problem," he said.
On the same occasion, Raja Juli also explained the chronology of his meeting with the Regent of Kuantan Singingi which took place on June 2, 2026. He emphasized that the audience was held officially and openly, with a letter of request, attendance list, minutes, and published through the Ministry of Forestry's social media.
After the meeting, said Raja Juli, the Regent of Kuantan Singingi left a sealed envelope in the meeting room. He admitted that he did not know the contents of the envelope and immediately asked his aide to return it because he felt he did not have the right to the gift.
"I don't know what the contents are, but I feel I don't have a right to the envelope. Therefore, I asked my aide to return the envelope," he said.
Raja Juli explained that the return of the envelope was carried out on June 12, 2026 or 17 days before the operation to capture the Regent of Kuantan Singingi. The return, according to him, was accompanied by a receipt and documentation as a form of accountability to the public.
In addition, he also denied the decision to release forest areas in Kuantan Singingi Regency during his tenure as Minister of Forestry.
"There is not a single SK that I have issued for the release of forest areas in Kuantan Singingi. Not even an inch of forest area in Kuantan Singingi that is under my authority that I have issued as APL," he said.
Raja Juli again reiterated his commitment to support the eradication of corruption and ensure that the Ministry of Forestry will continue to be cooperative with all legal processes carried out by the KPK as part of efforts to build clean and ethical forest governance.
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