Jikalahari said industrial timber plantations also drove forest and land burnings, not only palm oil plantations and minings.

Koalisi Eyes on the Forest menerbitkan laporan analisis dan investigatif terhadap 26 lokasi kebun sawit di Provinsi Riau yang merupakan bagian kecil dari 1,6 juta hektar kawasan hutan yang diubah menjadi kawasan bukan hutan berdasarkan Keputusan Menteri Kehutanan

A timber supplier for APRIL was fined IDR 16.2 trillion (US$ 1.19 billion) in an August trial by the Indonesian Supreme Court for illegal logging and environmental destruction in Pelalawan district, Riau province.

Just eight months of ruling as governor, the newly elected Riau governor was caught red-handed by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at his residence in Cibubur, East Jakarta, late last month.

A coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations lodged corruption cases involving 27 forestry companies in Riau to anti-corruption commission (KPK) in Jakarta Tuesday, media reports said.

Independent evaluation by NGOs reveals fundamental flaws in SVLK allowing certification of illegal and unsustainable timber products

The result of corruption trial of former governor of Riau Rusli Zainal (RZ) which was held on Wednesday (12/3) at Pekanbaru State Court sentenced RZ to 14 years in prison and a liability to pay a fine of Rp 1 billion subsidiary of 6 months imprisonment after being pleaded guilty for corruption on forestry sector and National Games (PON) 2012, media reported.

Jikalahari and Walhi (Friends of the Earth) Riau suspect the launch of Sustainable Forest Management Policy by APRIL today (Tuesday, 28 January 2014) in Jakarta, as a trick to destroy the remaining natural forest embedded with their illegal and problematic permits in Riau province.

Anti-corruption coalition called public to support the war against corruption as to eradicate the crime was not only the responsibility of Anti-corruption commission (KPK), law enforcement or any anti-corruption activists, but it is the responsibility of everybody

The first trial on corruption cases involving Riau Governor Rusli Zainal who allegedly paid bribe in PON 2012 national games scandal and accepted bribery in issuing forest logging permits for pulp and paper timber suppliers held on last Wednesday (6/11) in Pekanbaru Corruption Court.

A monitoring on corruption trial by a university in Jakarta concluded yesterday that there was allegedly discrimination by judges of corruption court in taking a punishment to a defendant on forestry graft case in Riau province.

Riau Governor Rusli Zainal finally was detained by Corruption Eradicatio Commission (KPK) yesterday for allegedly “abusing power to make money for himself and other people or a corporation” by legalizing five-yearly logging plans to some timber suppliers in Pelalawan and Siak Districts between 2001 – 2007, KPK press release said.

In attempt to mitigate the corporates’ forest crimes, some activists demand Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to immediately seize the company assets of the listed names alleged for corporate crimes involvement.

Students association in Pelalawan district where Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) office and mill located protested the company’s main supplier PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) over ignorance in providing employment for locals as well as intransparency in handling industrial waste management.

An independent monitoring on legal wood certification in Riau province urged the government and certification agencies to be responsible for passing Timber Legality of Assurance System (TLAS) certificates to forest management units as some of timber companies targeted by anti-corruption commission for further probe on graft scandals.

Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Riau Governor Rusli Zainal suspect for National Games PON 2012 graft case as well as for Pelalawan forestry corruption last week.

Three local government officials and one staff of PT Sumatera Riang Lestari, timber supplier for Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL), were detained by Riau Prosecutors Office for allegedly embezzling the state’s income from forestry tax.

Former Riau Forestry Service and Kampar District Head, Burhanuddin Husein was punished two and a half year jail by Corruption Criminal Court in Pekanbaru on Wednesday after judges decided he was found guilty in committing graft collectively.

Three non-governmental organizations consisting of WWF-Indonesia, the Indonesian Working Group on Forest Finance (IWGFF) and Transparency International Indonesia say they are ready to monitor and help eradicate corruption and money laundering in the forestry sector.

Recent trials of forestry corruption with defendant Burhanuddin Husin, former Riau Forestry Service Head at Pekanbaru’s Corruption Crime Court presented witnesses telling irregularities found in ground checking.

A coalition of Indonesia’s NGOs called Anti-Forest Mafia Coalition urged global pulp buyers last week to beware of allegedly corruption-tainted pulp products following an analysis of timber companies’ involvement in graft cases that jailed government officials in Riau province.

Non-governmental organization coalition called Anti-Forest Mafia Coalition lodged a petition to Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Tuesday to urge it name those involved in graft cases suspects.

A former Forestry Service head in Riau province was charged of five year imprisonment by Anti-corruption Court in Pekanbaru on Wednesday for found guilty of receiving bribery and fee from companies as he issued logging licenses for several timber companies.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is urged to nab more corruptors, including the untouchables from officials and persons from companies, civil society activists said last week.

Former Riau Forestry Service Head and Ex Kampar District Head, Burhanuddin Husein, was detained by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta yesterday, for accusation of misusuing his authority in issuing logging licenses for pulpwood conversion in Pelalawan District during 2005-2006.

Former Siak District Head Arwin AS was sentenced to four-year imprisonment by Corruption Court in Pekanbaru on Thursday as he was found guilty to make money collaborately by issuing logging licenses to pulp timber suppliers during his service as District Head in 2001-2002.

EoF News (PEKANBARU) – Former Siak Distric Head whom is prosecuted in Corruption Crime Court here asked Prosecutors to present more key witnesses including Riau Governor Rusli Zainal and Kampar District Head, reports said.

EoF News(PEKANBARU)-- Siak District Head Arwin A.S was tried for the first time in Pekanbaru Corruption Crime Court on 11 August for graft indicment as he issued logging licenses to timber companies.

EoF News (PEKANBARU)—Former Riau Forestry Service Head was sentenced to 5-year imprisonment last week by Anti-Corruption Court for receiving bribes from pulpwood plantation companies within 2002-2005 which caused the State loss amount to Rp 889.2 billion (US$ 98.8 million).

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Environmental groups in Riau urged law enforcers to probe more Riau corruption cases and bring more suspects to justice.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Indonesia’s Anti-corruption Body (KPK) has named Siak District Head Arwin A.S. suspect for allegedly receiving bribe in issuing pulpwood plantation licenses in the district.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Indonesian Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) has seized documents belong to Siak District Head at his office and residence this week as the agency’s spokesperson said the raid could be extension of gratification on logging license case that before had sent Pelalawan District Head to the jail.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Students and residents allied in a group staged rally here today (19/11/2008) to urge the Riau Prosecutors Office to bring illegal logging and corruption cases to the court amid the acknowledgment uttered by the law enforcer body last week that they give up to do so.

PEKANBARU (EoF News) —Pelalawan District Head (inactive) Tengku Azmun Jaafar was penalized to 11-year imprisonment by Corruption Crime Court in Jakarta yesterday (16/9/2008) as he found guilty of committing corruption in issuing pulpwood plantation licenses for 15 companies, media reports said.

PEKANBARU (EoF News) -- A witness on the trial of Pelalawan District Head Azmun Jaafar in Jakarta told the judges last week that the defendant received at least Rp 1.5 billion from PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP) as a gratification for issuing forestry operation license for the subsidiary of Asia Pacific Resources International Holding Limited (APRIL).

PEKANBARU (EoF News)—One week following a visit of Riau Police Chief Sutjiptadi to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) office last week, the commission soon deployed two teams this week to the province to probe the corruption case on logging license issuance involving Pelalawan District Head Azmun Jaafar as well as to socialize corruption prevention campaign to local legislators.

EoF News (Pekanbaru)--- President’s special team staff said Riau Police Office are allowed to probe some Riau officials over alleged illegal logging and corruption cases, despite there is no permit issued by from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Pekanbaru (EoF News)—Pelalawan District Head Tengku Azmun Jaafar was detained by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta on Friday (14/12/2007) in charging with alleged corruption by issuing logging licenses to 15 companies.

One of the world’s biggest environmental crimes continues to unfold in Indonesia as efforts by the government to curb massive illegal logging are being severely undermined by a weak and corrupt justice system, environmentalists revealed Wednesday.