Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – The police have not yet identified any corporate suspects in handling the land and forest fire cases. Chief of Subdirectorate III of the Directorate of Certain Criminal Acts at the National Police Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim Polri), Sr. Comr. Pipit Subiyanto, said that as of Friday, September 4, 2026, police have named 167 suspects, all of whom are individuals.
Pipit stated that investigators have not found indications of involvement by palm oil corporations in the forest burning cases. "If there is any connection, we will follow up," he said during a press conference at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) office in East Jakarta on Friday, September 4, 2026.
Pipit mentioned that verification by investigators indicated the forest fires stemmed from land clearing conducted by individuals. The burned areas vary in scale, ranging from approximately 2 hectares to 5-10 hectares per individual.
In gathering evidence, Pipit said, investigators cross-referenced witness testimonies with physical evidence collected at the sites. As of September 3, 2026, the police have received 167 public reports. "The police will thoroughly follow up on any information regarding corporate involvement in these forest fire cases," Pipit said.
Previously, Minister of Environment Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat stated that authorities have mapped out 42 companies on Kalimantan Island suspected of triggering the fires. According to Jumhur, several of these corporations are strongly indicated to have committed violations. "This is only in Kalimantan; data for Sumatra is currently being updated," Jumhur said, as quoted by Antara.
The Ministry of Environment stated that it will coordinate with the police to handle alleged criminal offenses committed by perpetrators of the fires. Additionally, administrative sanctions will be enforced against corporations that breach environmental regulations. Jumhur assured that substantial fines will be levied against any corporations implicated in the illegal burnings.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2118988/police-no-corporate-suspects-named-yet-in-forest-fire