Demonstrators Demand Riau Governor’s Arrest
July 22, 2008
Around 300 people under the name Solidarity for United Indonesia demonstrated in front of the Anti Corruption Court today demanding the arrest of Riau Governor, Rusli Zainal for his involvement in the illegal logging case in Pelalawan, Riau.
“We demand that the Corruption Eradication Commission, the Anti Corruption Court, and the Police to arrest Rusli Zainal and name him suspect in the Pelalawan case” Fredy Siregar, Head of Legal Division, Solidarity for United Indonesia told the Jakarta Globe.
“He (Zaenal) is also a key player in the illegal logging in Pelalawan, there is no way that he had no knowledge of the case” said Siregar. He added that the government should also made Zainal ineligible for Riau reelection scheduled to commence in August.
Zainal today was summoned by the Anti Corruption court as a witness in the corruption case against Pelalawan Regent Tengku Azmun Jaafar. Zainal has refused to comment on his involvement in the case.
Last year, former Riau Forestry Officer Syuhada Tasman, revealed to the Corruption Eradication Commission that Zainal ratified the Forestry Minister’s decree on Pelalawan forest status as a national reserve. Jaafar also said the same thing to the court on July 4th saying that Zainal is the one responsible.
Corruption Eradication Commission official told the Jakarta Globe that the Commission is developing the case further and it is not impossible for Zainal to be named suspect in the case.
Around 1.7 million hectares of Riau’s forest is unlawfully licensed for exploitation including those in the national reserve areas, wetlands and slanted terrain which were decreed by the Forestry Minister as illegal for exploitation.
The case has tremendous ecological impact to Riau province with an estimated loss of Rp.786billion a year from forest fires and floods.
