Accused of Stealing, 63-year-old Asyani Wails Hysterically

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Asyani, a 63-year-old woman who was accused of stealing teak woods, cried hysterically during her third trial at the Situbondo District Court, East Java. She even fainted when she saw her rapporteur, Sawin, a Forestry Department (Perhutani) staff, in the court.

Asyani was a masseus in her village. She was charged with Article 12 letter d junto Article 83 paragraph (1) letter a of Law No. 18 Year 2013 on Combating Deforestation, she was under penalty of five years. Asyani was accused of stealing 38 teak wood boards from the Perhutani forest at the village.

Asyani's attorney, Supriyono, regretted the court's verdict. He claimed that the court was being too formalistic in handling the case.

Supriyono also felt that his client's case had became a political stage. Situbondo Regent Dadang Wigiarto and its Deputy Regent Rachmad are now competing to be the guarantor of Asyani's surety.

Public Relations of Forest Management Unit of PT Perhutani Bondowoso, Abdul Gani, explained that the 38 teak wood boards were stolen by Asyani from the 43M plot of Jatibanteng forest.

Asyani was reported by a number of forest rangers to the Jatibanteng Police Resort on July 7, 2014. She was arrested on December 15, 2014. Besides Asyani, three other were also being arrested, who were her son-in-law, Ruslan; the pick-up owner, Abdussalam; and the carpenter, Sucipto.

IKA NINGTYAS | RYAN MAULANA | PGB