TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Mulyanto, a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VII, opined that Indonesia is currently in a state of emergency on illegal mining. He made the statement after the Attorney General's Office (AGO) named two suspects from the Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry in the alleged corruption case of nickel ore mining.

Previously, AGO had named Windu Aji Sutanto, who is the former chairman of President Joko Widodo or Jokowi’s volunteer group, as a suspect in the illegal mining case in state-owned mining firm PT Aneka Tambang or Antam’s concession land.

“It is not yet clear who is responsible for the illegal export of 5 million tons of nickel to China, while an illegal mining case has been now uncovered involving former President Joko Widodo’s volunteer group chair Windu Aji Sutanto,” Mulyanto said in a press statement, Tuesday, July 25, 2023.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician said the state incurs enormous losses from such natural resource crimes. Not to mention the environmental damage.

Therefore, Mulyanto urged President Jokowi to directly intervene in eradicating the illegal mining mafia by strengthening the monitoring and enforcement institutions. Without law enforcement, it is impossible to tackle illegal mining.

Windu Aji Sutanto, who was a former chairman of the Jokowi's volunteer group in Central Java in the 2014 presidential election, was named a suspect for illegally mining nickel in the Mandiodo Block, Southeast Sulawesi.

Windu Aji's company, PT Lawu Agung Mining, was suspected of mining nickel in PT Antam's concession land without any valid documents. Mining activities in a forest area require a forest area utilization permit (IPPKH).

The state loss caused by the illegal mining case in the Mendiodo Block, North Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi was estimated to reach Rp5.7 trillion.

ADE RIDWAN YANDWIPUTRA

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