Mukomuko Village Head Forum Requests Detention Of 40 Farmers Suspected Of Palm Oil FFB Theft To Be Postponed

Mukomuko Police arrested dozens of residents who are members of the Prosperous Earth Warriors Farmers Association (PPPBS) in this area, Thursday (12/5/2022). ANTARA/Ferry.

MUKOMUKO - The Village Heads Forum in Malin Deman District, Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu, has proposed a suspension of detention of 40 farmers, suspects in the alleged theft of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) belonging to PT Daria Dharma Pratama (DDP).

"We have had a meeting with several village heads and we agreed to propose a postponement of the detention of residents who are members of the Prosperous Earth Fighters Farmers Association (PPPBS) to the police," said Chairman of the Mukomuko District Village Heads Forum Dahri Iskandar quoted by Antara, Saturday, May 14.

Previously, Mukomuko Police had named 40 suspects in the theft of oil palm FFB belonging to PT DDP, an oil palm plantation company in this area.

In addition, several village heads in the Malin Deman sub-district will also send a letter to the Bengkulu Governor to resolve the land conflict between the farmers and PT DDP.

Dahri asked the local government agrarian conflict handling task force to resolve the agrarian conflict between farmers and PT DDP.

His party has known that 40 residents who are members of PPPBS in this area were arrested by the police on reports and complaints from PT DDP.

"They opened a business in our place but they also arrested our residents," he said.

Questionable legality

For this reason, he said, oil palm plantation business activities in this area should be stopped until there is a settlement regarding the legality of land use rights (HGU) PT Bina Bumi Sejahtera (BBS) in its territory.

Then the village head forum also questioned the legality of PT DDP in the area working on PT BBS land only with a letter of borrowing to use PT BBS's HGU land.

"Are there any rules governing the letter of borrow-to-use HGU land," said Dahri.

In addition, the legality of the principle permit of PT BBS's HGU has been questioned which has been issued by officials of regional organizations within the local government.

"If the official issues a principle permit on PT BBS's HGU land, it means he has overstepped the governor's authority," said Dahri.

Previously, Mukomuko Police Chief AKBP Witdiardi said the police also secured evidence of oil palm or "orchid" harvesting tools, cars, palm fruit, and cellphones.

"We also confiscated cellphones because in this palm fruit harvesting activity, it was organized, someone invited them. Two of the 40 suspects mobilized residents via WhatsApp messages to harvest oil palm fruit on land with the company's land use rights," said Witdiardi.

From the results of the investigation carried out by investigators, dozens of perpetrators admitted that the palm fruit they harvested was not theirs.

In addition, the perpetrators also admitted that the fresh fruit bunches of oil palm they harvested belonged to an oil palm plantation company in their area.