Four people named suspects in land and forest fires in South Sumatra

Banyuasin, S Sumatra (ANTARA) - The Banyuasin Police Resort in South Sumatra Province will soon hand over the dossiers of four suspects in land and forest fires to the public prosecutor's office.

"The suspects in land and forest fires have been processed and their case will soon be handed over to the public prosecutor's office along with evidence," Chief of the Banyuasin Police Resort Adjunct Senior Commissioner Danny Sianipar said on Wednesday.

Sianipar said the suspects, identified by their initials as M, S, MK and M, were arrested in four different places.

"The suspects have nothing to do with corporation but they (set fire to land and forest) themselves to make way for farmland," he said.

The four people were charged with violating Law No. 32/2009 on Environmental Protection and Management and Law No. 41/1999 on Forestry or Law No. 39/1914 on Plantations or Article 187,188 or 189 of the Penal Code in connection with Article 53 of the Penal Code. If found guilty, they can be sentenced to up to 10 years and fined up to Rp10 billion each.

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.The National Police announced on Sept 24 a total of 323 individuals have been named suspects in land and forest fires across the country.

The suspects comprise 79 in Central Kalimantan, 59 in Riau, one in Aceh, 26 in South Sumatra, 39 in Jambi, 26 in South Kalimantan, 69 in West Kalimantan, and 24 in East Kalimantan.

In addition to individuals, the police have also named 14 companies as suspects in land and forest fires, comprising PT Sumber Sawit Sejahtera in Riau, PT Bumi Hijau Lestari in South Sumatra, PT Mega Anugerah Sawit in Jambi, PT Monrad Intan Barakat and PT Borneo Indo Tani in South Kalimantan, PT Palmindo Gemilang Kencana in Central Kalimantan, PT Surya Agro Palma and PT Sepanjang Inti Surya Usaha in West Kalimantan.

Spokesman of the Indonesian Police Brig. Gen Dedi Prasetyo said in Jakarta on Sept 24 that forest fires in the nine provinces of Riau, Aceh, South Sumatra, Jambi, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, and Lampung had covered an area of 7,482 hectares, with the largest area detected in South Sumatra, spanning 1,783 hectares.


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