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View all search resultsRiau Police name PT Musim Mas suspect in Riau environmental damage
Musim Mas allegedly encroached forest land for their palm oil plantation with an overlapped right-to-use (HGU) certificate for 29,000 hectares plot of land.
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Palm oil plantations stretch beyond the horizon on Aug. 9 in Dumai, Riau. (Antara Photo/Rony Muharrman)
D
etectives from the Riau Police Special Crimes Investigation (Reskrimsus) Directorate have named PT Musim Mas as a corporate suspect in an environmental crime case at a palm oil plantation in Pelalawan regency.
Reskrimsus director Sr. Com. Ade Kuncoro Ridwan said the case started from a report by the Riau chapter of the Indonesian Environment and Forest Appreciation Society (Alun Riau) on Dec. 2. The organization highlighted an alleged overlapping right-to-use (HGU) certificate of 29,000 hectares of palm oil plantations with protected forest land.
“The report also alleges the company planted palm oil trees right in riverbank buffers,” he said in a recent interview.
Detectives from Reskrimsus Directorate’s Sub-directorate IV, which investigates environment and forestry crimes among other cases, launched an investigation for about four months. Using a scientific crime investigation approach, the investigation used science-based data and involved various experts, field documentations and laboratory tests.
“Every time we investigate an environmental case, responsibility must be proven scientifically and legally,” said Ade.
“Detectives questioned at least 13 witnesses and eight experts from various fields, such as land measurement and mapping, forestry, water resource, environment, land damage and criminal justice.”
Investigation revealed that Musim Mas’ palm oil plantation at Estate F Division F is located very close to Air Hitam River, a tributary of Nilo River.
