KLHK Investigate Illegal Nickel Mining Fund Flow In North Konawe

Director General of Law Enforcement KLHK Ratio Ridho Sani/ANTARA

KENDARI - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry is investigating the flow of funds, including investors and buyers, from allegedly illegal mining activities carried out by PT James & Armando Pundimas (JAP) in Mandiodo Village, Andowia District, North Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi.

KLHK's Director General of Law Enforcement Ratio Ridho Sani said his party had ordered a team of investigators to develop an alleged illegal mining case carried out by PT JAP.

"We have ordered our investigators in Jakarta to coordinate with PPATK to trace the financial flows and the involvement of other parties, including the financiers and buyers," he said on the sidelines of handing over suspects and evidence to the Southeast Sulawesi High Court. 10 March.

He said that his party would enforce the law on money laundering in the case of alleged illegal mining by PT JAP.

"Because civil servant investigators, including the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, have the authority to enforce the law on money laundering," he said.

He emphasized that his party would not stop taking action against environmental and forestry crimes because they were ordered to take action as the government's commitment.

He said the development of the case was a serious commitment from the government to save the environment and forestry, state losses and also save people's lives from the threat of ecological disasters.

"Everyone in the eyes of the law is the same, so we will take law enforcement seriously. We will develop this case, there are several other actors that we are investigating for their involvement in this illegal mining activity," he asserted.

The Center for Security and Law Enforcement (Gakkum) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in the Sulawesi region took action against a nickel mine suspected of being illegal in North Konawe, namely PT JAP.

Head of Balai Gakkum KLHK Sulawesi Region Dodi Kurniawan said the KLHK Investigation Team had named the President Director of PT JAP initials RMY (27) as a suspect in the case on February 14 because he was proven to have been mining in forest areas without a permit.

He conveyed, the results of the investigation team revealed that the nickel mining carried out by PT JAP was illegal because it did not have a borrow-to-use forest area permit (IPPKH) and other permits in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

He said that the action against the illegal nickel mine started from public information so that his party together with the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police carried out an operation to save natural resources in Mandiodo, North Konawe.

Balai Gakkum secured evidence of three excavators and three dump trucks from suspected illegal nickel mining activities which are currently being deposited at the Class I Kendari State Confiscated Objects Storage House (Rupbasan).

The suspect was charged with Article 78 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 50 paragraph (3) letter “a” of Law Number 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry as amended in Article 36 paragraph 19 Article 78 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 36 Number 17 article 50 paragraph (2 ) letter “a” of Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation and/or Article 89 paragraph (1) letters a, b and/or article 90 paragraph (1) in conjunction with article 17 paragraph (1) letters a, b, c Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction as amended in Article 37 number 5 article 17 paragraph (1) letters a, b, c Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) to -1 of the Criminal Code.