Moreover, 57 corporations are already in the P21 (completed case files) stage by the prosecutor."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A total of 12 companies have been named suspects in forest and land fire cases in Sumatra and Kalimantan (Borneo) region, stated Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) Badrodin Haiti.

"Until today, October 12, 2015, 12 corporates have been identified as suspects," he stated at a press conference here, Monday.

Of the total cases involving these suspected companies, four cases had reached phase one, pending research from the public prosecutor.

According to Haiti, Polri had received 244 reports of crimes related to burning of forest and land areas.

He noted that all the reports were received from the provincial police (Polda) of six regions of South Sumatra, Jambi, and Riau as well as Central, West, and South Kalimantan that were affected by forest and land fires.

Speaking in connection with the 244 reports, he explained that 26 of them were being investigated, while 218 of them were entering the investigation phase.

He further explained that of the total 218 investigations, 113 were related to individuals and 48 involved companies.

"Moreover, 57 corporations are already in the P21 (completed case files) stage by the prosecutor," he added.

Badrodin pointed out that all the suspects has violated Article 108, Number 32 of the 2009 Act, where the guilty will face 3-10 years imprisonment and a fine of at least Rp3 billion and a maximum of Rp10 billion.

Moreover, teams from a foreign country had begun operations to extinguish the fires in South Sumatra.

"Today, teams from Singapore and Malaysia along with South Sumatras Forest and Land Fires Prevention Task Force have commenced aerial and land operations to extinguish fires in Ogan Komering Ilir and Musi Banyuasin District," South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin stated here, Monday.

To overcome the smog disaster, the local government has since September 2015 deployed 4,997 personnel from the Provincial Agency for Disaster Management (BPBD), Manggala Agni, and the Indonesian Armed/Police Forces, among others.

(Reported by Agita Tarigan/Translated by Roy Rosa B./INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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