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EDAN: The speaker of the Langkat Legislative Council and a foreign investor financed the conversion of a mangrove forest into a palm oil plantation in the Sei Babalan forest reserve in Langkat, North Sumatra, activists allege.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) made the allegations outside the office of North Sumatra’s governor at a rally supporting residents victimized by conversion.

Walhi’s local director, Syahrul Isman Sagala, said three palm oil plantation companies allegedly converted 16,446 hectares of mangrove swamps in the Register 8/L forest preserve in Langkat regency.

Syahrul said the companies, UD Harapan Sawita, KUD Murni and PT Pelita Nusantara Sejahtera, had been converting the mangrove forest since 2006.

“The owners of the three companies involved in the mangrove forest conversion are influential people and have lots of money, so it’s natural that they haven’t been touched until now,” Syahrul said.

Contacted separately, North Sumatra Legislative Council speaker Saleh Bangun denied involvement in financing KUD Murni to convert the mangrove forests.

However, he confirmed that he knew of the existence of KUD Murni.

“I know about KUD Murni, but you got the wrong address for accusing me of funding it. It’s not me. Please go there and see who owns it,” Saleh said.