Expertise of Expert Forest Fire Experts at the Ministry of LHK is doubtful

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta - The question of the expertise of witnesses of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (LHK) in cases of forest and land fires (karhutla) surfaced after the disclosure of the use of invalid data in the trial process.

"If the data is incorrect, it is clear that expert expertise of the Ministry of LHK needs to be questioned," said environmental law expert Dr. Sadino told reporters in Jakarta, Wednesday (29/11/2017).

Sadino, who is also the Executive Director of the Forest Law and Policy Consultation Bureau, responded to the results of a civil lawsuit filed by PT Jatim Jaya Perkasa (JJP) to Basuki Wasis at the Cibinong District Court, Bogor, West Java.

In his lawsuit, PT JJP assess Basuki Wasis has committed acts against the law. In addition, the table on the test of burnt-out soil published by the Forest Ecology Conservation Laboratory of the Silviculture Department of the Faculty of Forestry IPB, dated November 18, 2013 and Certificate of Experts for the case of environmental destruction through the burning at PT JJP, Rokan Hlir Regency, Riau on December 12, 2013 signed by Basuki Wasis is legally flawed and has no evidentiary and nullified power.

PT JJP also sued Basuki Wasis for compensation of Rp 610 billion. In addition PT JJP sued Basuki Wasis to pay Rp10 million of forced money per day if negligent in executing court decision.

Sadino explained that the disclosure of invalid data makes PT JJP able to file further legal proceedings for the case currently facing. Moreover, the testimony of Basuki Wasis and the data he presented became one of the determinants of the verdict handed down to PT JJP on the lawsuit filed by the Ministry of LHK.

"PT JJP can file an appeal to the Supreme Court," he said as quoted from a press release received by the Editor, Thursday (30/11/2017)

Previously on the lawsuit filed by the Ministry of LHK, PT JJP was fined Rp1 billion by the Rokan Hllir District Court for the fire that occurred in his garden (12/7/2017).

In the same case, the Jakarta High Court also granted an appeal against a civil case filed by the Ministry of LHK to PT JJP to pay compensation and land restitution costs totaling Rp491 billion, in May 2017. In that case one of the expert witnesses is submitted by the Ministry of LHK Basuki Wasis.

Sadino revealed that the disclosure of invalid data by Basuki Wasis is also an opportunity to make further legal proceedings for a number of companies that were previously sued by the Ministry of LHK and convicted of causing karhutla.