Another Foreign Firm Named Suspect In Land Fires

Pekanbaru, Riau (Antara Bali) - The police have named oil palm plantation company PT Palm Lestari Makmur as a suspect in an alleged case of land and forest fires in its concession area in Indragiri Hulu district, Riau province.

"The company has been named as a suspect and we will soon bring the case to justice," Special Crime Director of the Riau Provincial Police, Senior Commissioner Arif Rahman Hakim, said here on Tuesday.

The police are currently investigating several witnesses, including an expert witness, in the alleged case of land fires involving the Singaporean company, he said.

Deputy Director of Special Crime of the Riau Provincial Police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Ari Rahman Nafarin, said 29 hectares land has allegedly been burned by the company.

The police named the company as a suspect after investigating a number of its executives, he said.

Nafarin said the police are also in the process of investigating other foreign company, PT Pan United in Bengkalis district, Riau province, for allegedly setting fire to its land.

"We will announce the developments in the investigation of the case in the near future," he said.

In August 2015, the police had also named oil palm plantation firm, PT Langgam Inti Hibrindo, as a suspect in a case of land fire.

The police later named Frans Katihokang, one of the companys executives, as a suspect in the case.

Nafarin said the company is charged with an act of negligence leading to land fire, pursuant to Law No. 32/2009 on Environmental Protection and Management.(WDY)