Disputes It Turns Out That The Forest Supervisory Agency, The Attorney General's Office, Takes Over The Company Case Suspected Of Being Palm Oil On HPT Mukomuko

The District Attorney's Office (Kajari) of Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu. (ANTARA)

BENGKULU - The Bengkulu High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) has taken over the handling of the case of the plantation company PT Alno allegedly planting palm oil without a permit in the Limited Production Forest (HPT) Air Ipuh I area of Mukomuko Regency.

"The case of PT Alno was taken over by the Bengkulu Prosecutor's Office because this case is related to the state forest," said Head of the Mukomuko District Attorney's Office (Kajari) Rudi Iskandar in Mukomuko, Bengkulu, Tuesday, February 21, as reported by Antara.

According to him, the Bengkulu Attorney General's Office took over this case, because the parties related to this case, apart from the company working on HPT Air Ipuh I, were also the institutions that oversee forest areas.

"There may be witnesses at the national level related to this issue for questioning," he said.

In addition, he said, investigators needed expert witnesses to determine the coordinates of forest areas suspected of being planted with palm oil by plantation companies.

"Furthermore, it is up to the Prosecutor's Office to direct whether the handling of this case is a special crime or another field," he said.

Previously, investigators from the Mukomuko Kejari examined five witnesses related to this case, such as the forest management unit, the company, the National Land Agency, and the local district government.

"All parties related to us ask for information regarding this case," he said.

Head of the Mukomuko Regency Forest Management Unit, Aprin Sihaloho, previously said that his party had asked PT Alno, an oil palm plantation company suspected of growing palm oil plants in HPT Air Ipuh I to take care of the release permit or borrowing forest in accordance with applicable regulations.

"If they do not apply for a permit to release and borrow and use the forest area, then the sanctions are in accordance with Government Regulation Number 24 of 2021 concerning administrative sanctions for companies that carry out activities in forest areas without permission," said Aprin Sihaloho.

He explained that more than 200 hectares of land that obtained a right to use (HGU) permit belonging to the oil palm plantation company was included in the forest area.

However, from the 200 hectares of land, he explained, an area of about 30-40 hectares of which has been planted with palm oil by the company.