TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bandung's District Court has accepted a pretrial motion lodged by the West Java's chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), regarding a letter of order to stop investigations (SP3) on an illegal mining case at a protected forest reserve in Bogor, West Java.

As a result, West Java Police have been ordered to continue investigating the mine in question, which is suspected of operating without a permit from the Ministry of Forestry.

"We hereby order investigators to continue their investigation into the matter," said Judge Jonlar Purba, when he delivered the result of the pretrial motion at Bandung's District Court on Thursday, June 11, 2015.

Previously in 2014, West Java's Walhi reported that an illegal mine has been operating at the Cirangsad and Cigudeg Forest Reserves, in Jasinga District, Bogor. Walhi alleges that the area have often fallen victim to unlicensed exploitation by 12 companies - none of which had a valid permit issued by the appropriate Ministries.

However, on March 20, 2015, West Java Police issued an SP3 - effectively halting all investigations into the case - on the grounds that the report lacks a criminal element, and that state-owned forestry firm Perhutani has the right to enter into an agreement with other companies to reclaim and exploit forest reserves.

That said, based on the testimonies of experts and evidences available to them, the panel of judges at Bandung's District Court said that the mines were operating illegally as they do not possess the appropriate permits to exploit the reserves, which has to be issued by the Ministry of Forestry.

"The mining companies in question did not have the appropriate licenses since 2007. The ones that did have permits, their permits dated back from 2013," said Jonlar.

Walhi, represented by its' attorney Lasma Natalia from Bandung's Legal Aid Society (LBH), have welcomed the result of their pretrial motion. "We hope that the investigation into the mines would continue," said Natalia.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Legal Subdirectorate for West Java Police, Sr. Adj. Comr. Yanuar Prayoga, said that West Java Police will appeal the verdict. "Of course we will launch an appeal," Yanuar said, before adding that the matter will be discussed internally by West Java Police.

IQBAL T. LAZUARDI S