Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar admitted Thursday law enforcement against environmental crimes during his term of office remained poor.

The ineffective law enforcement was evident with only 19 out of 33 reported cases brought to court.

He said that many of the convicts were only accomplices who worked in the fields, while the masterminds remained at large.

"The country needs crucial actions to further enforce the law in environmental cases, otherwise it will not deter people from polluting the environment," he said after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Supreme Court.

The ministerial office currently adopts a one-roof enforcement system, which gathers officials from the National Police and Attorney General's Office to enforce the law.

But Rachmat said the cooperation remained ineffective as only a few perpetrators were sent to jail but the environmental degradation worsened.