There was a discrepancy between the spatial plan and the implementation in the field…the audit indicated that the forest was no longer a forest.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government has initiated a criminal case against PT Mega Karya Nanjaya over the suspected trading of land plots in the Sei Hulu Lanjai Protected Forest in Batam, Riau Islands.

The criminal action against the company is being pursued by the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning and Land National Agency (ATR/BPN) through the Directorate General of Land Spatial Control (Ditjen PPTR) and the Directorate of Spatial Utilization Control.

Director of Spatial Utilization Control at Ditjen PPTR Ariodillah Virgantara informed that the investigation into changes in land use in protected forest areas and trading of land was based on the results of spatial planning audits of the Batam, Bintan, and Karimun National Strategic areas by the Ministry of ATR/BPN in 2019.

"There was a discrepancy between the spatial plan and the implementation in the field. It turned out that the results of the audit indicated that the forest was no longer a forest," he said in a written statement released in Jakarta on Monday.

He informed that his party used satellite imagery to map how the forest cover, which still existed in 2017, began to be dismantled in 2020, 2021, and 2022.Furthermore, the land was divided into plots, which were sold off at low prices.

The PPTR Directorate General put up warning signs prohibiting construction in protected forest areas twice, in 2020 and 2022, but they were taken down by unknown persons. Construction activities are still on in the areas, and a number of houses have already come up on them.

According to Virgantara, based on the available evidence, Budi Sudarmawan, the main director of PT Megah Karya Nanjaya, was declared to have committed an illegal act and violated Law Number 26 Article 69 of 2007 concerning Spatial Planning.

The Directorate for Spatial Utilization Control and the Directorate General for Land Spatial Control then asked the Batam city government, the provincial government of Riau Islands, and the regional police to take action against the suspect.

"In a process that has been going on for almost a year, the Directorate General of Land Spatial Control has found the suspect and the case file is complete or P21. The file has been submitted to the Batam district attorney and will be tried in two weeks," Virgantara said.

The case of protected forest land being traded is not only detrimental to the state, but also to the people, he added.

Moreover, the case had reportedly entered the stage of buying and selling transactions by the suspect unilaterally, with the suspect allegedly drawing up a fake master plan without the approval of the Badan Pengusahaan (BP) Batam.

However, in accordance with the applicable regulations, buildings that are standing will still need to be demolished and the land restored as a forest again.

The Ministry of ATR/BPN is also looking for a solution for people who have bought the plots. The ministry is planning to coordinate with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) to provide low-cost apartment blocks (Rusunawa) to accommodate the disadvantaged buyers.

Virgantara reminded the public to check the certificates of the houses they are about to buy.
Currently, the case has been processed under criminal law and has become an opportunity for the Ministry of ATR/BPN to ensure a deterrent effect on land mafias.

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Translator: Maria Cicilia Galuh, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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