Selling Pangolin Scales 66.8 Kilograms, Pontianak District Court Sentenced Jumadi 9 Months In Prison Fine Rp5 Million

PONTIANAK - Jumadi, the accused seller of 66.8 kilograms of pangolin scales (Manis javanica syn Paramanis javanica) was sentenced to nine months in prison and fined Rp. 5 million by the panel of judges at the Pontianak District Court, West Kalimantan.

"Defendant Jumadi has been legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing a criminal act of trading parts of protected animals as regulated and threatened with criminality in Article 40 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 21 paragraph (2) letter d of Law Number 5/1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources. and the Ecosystem in the Indictment," said Chief Justice Joko Waluyo in Pontianak as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, June 28.

Previously, at the hearing for reading the indictment, the Public Prosecutor, Muhammad Tohe, demanded that the defendant Jumadi be sentenced to 12 months in prison and a fine of Rp. 5 million or a subsidiary to nine months in prison if the fine was not paid.

The defendant was detained and questioned by the Sub-Directorate 4 team of the West Kalimantan Police Ditreskrimsus after being caught red-handed carrying 66.8 kilograms of pangolin scales from Sintang Regency on February 23, 2022.

After being examined and questioned, he did not have a license to trade, keep or possess the skin, body or other parts of the protected wildlife.

Based on the defendant's statement during the trial, he got the pangolin scales from the community on the grounds that the community asked for help to sell it. The defendant got the pangolin scales at a price of Rp. 600,000-Rp. 800,000 per kilogram and resold them at a price of Rp. 2,000,000 per kilogram.

Based on the testimony of an expert witness from the West Kalimantan BKSDA, Ita Novitawati, the pangolin in Indonesia is one of eight species of pangolin species in the world where the population continues to decline so that its existence is threatened with extinction.

Therefore, pangolins are protected by Law Number/1990 concerning Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems as well as Regulation of the Minister of Environment and Forestry No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 of 2018 causing all forms of use of these animals to have permission.