40 Farmers Suspected Of Stealing Palm Oil In Bengkulu Suspended Detention

Acting Regional Secretary Mukomuko Yandaryat Priendiana/Photo: Antara

MUKOMUKO - The government of Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu Province, has proposed the 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).

"The district government is empathetic to the problem of the detained residents. The district government will certainly help the residents by requesting a postponement of the detention of those who are the backbone of the family," said Mukomuko District Acting Secretary Yandaryat Priendiana in a statement in Mukomuko, Monday, May 16.

He said this was related to the steps taken by the Mukomuko Regency Government in responding to the detention of 40 residents of Malin Deman District by the Mukomuko Resort Police.

Mukomuko Resort Police, Bengkulu Police, named 40 PPPBS members as suspects in the alleged theft of oil palm fresh fruit bunches belonging to PT Daria Dharma Pratama (DDP), an oil palm plantation company in this area.

He said the Mukomuko Regency Government respects the legal process being carried out by local police investigators.

The district government regrets that this incident occurred because it was suspected that there were intellectual actors who influenced residents due to a lack of understanding.

For that, he said, his party supports investigators to open this issue openly and reveal the intellectual actors.

Furthermore, the district government urges the public to obey the law and channel their aspirations according to legal provisions.

In addition, he said, the district government will coordinate with PT DDP to help seek a better solution.

Mukomuko Resort Police Chief, AKBP Witdiardi previously said that the local resort police, apart from arresting 40 suspects for the theft of company palm oil, also secured evidence of oil palm harvesting tools or "orchids", cars, palm fruit, and mobile phones.

“We also confiscated our cellphones because the palm fruit harvesting activity was organized and someone invited us. Two of the 40 suspects who mobilized residents through WhatsApp messages to harvest oil palm fruit on land with rights to use the company's land," he said, quoted by Antara.

He explained that from the results of the investigation conducted by investigators, these dozens of perpetrators also 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.