Jakarta, Ekuatorial – Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya, said on Thursday (12/3) that they will appeal on the court’s decision to release a land and forest fires suspect.
Rengat District Court, preceded by judge Wiwin Sulistya, had released Asun or Mastur, director of PT Kurnia Subur, suspected for land and forest fires in Indragiri Hulu district, Riau during Wednesday’s pretrial.
Judge Sulistya argued that the suspect was released because of non procedural arrest by the ministry’s civil investigators and the police had terminated the investigation or known as SP3 in 2013.
“The court granted pretrial using SP3 from Indragiri Hulu police based on the forestry law meanwhile this case is related to environment protection and management law. That’s a different thing,” said Nurbaya. “Of course, we will appeal and I will write to Judicial Commission [on the decision].”
Meanwhile, Himsar Sirait, deputy of legal compliance at the ministry said that they were still considering whether to take judicial review, appeal or cassation.
In 2011, Mastur or Asun was named as suspect with his colleague, Darmalis alias Malis, after allegedly burned down 300 hectares of lands for oil palm plantation in their concession areas located in Jum’at island village of Indragiri Hulu district, Riau.
However, both suspects managed to escape before their trials back in 2013.
He was arrested by civil servants of ministry of environment and forestry, police crime unit, Pekanbaru airport immigration and Riau police after trying to escape in January 2015. Ekuatorial.
