ekanbaru district court in Riau has sentenced six settlers in Tesso Nilo national forest to six months in prison for demolishing two Forest Enforcement Task Force (PKH) posts, as efforts to relocate residents from the protected forest remain stalled.
Presiding judge Jonson Parancis ruled on Thursday that the defendants were proven to have jointly committed vandalism against public property.
“The court sentences each defendant to six months’ imprisonment, minus time already served during detention,” he said while reading the verdict.
According to court proceedings, the destruction of the two PKH task force posts took place on Nov. 21 last year. The six defendants, along with hundreds of other people, arrived at the location in two trucks.
They then demanded that PKH personnel vacate the post, which served as a base for authorities tasked with addressing illegal encroachment and land occupation within the protected forest area.
When the request was rejected, the group allegedly dismantled posts and destroyed equipment and other property belonging to the PKH task force, causing estimated state losses of around Rp 50 million.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.
Presiding judge Jonson Parancis said the defendants were “legally and convincingly proven” to have jointly committed public vandalism under Article 170 of the Criminal Code.
