The South Sulawesi High Prosecutor’s Office (Kejati) continues to investigate the alleged corruption case of irregularities in setting selling price of Sea Sand Mining 2020 in Galesong, Takalar Regency.
It is known that investigators from the South Sulawesi Prosecutor’s Office are continuing to investigate this case after the former Head of the Takalar Regional Financial Management Agency (BPKAD), Gazali Mahmud alias GM was named a suspect.
Seeing development of corruption cases in the field of natural resources, WALHI South Sulawesi also commented in their press release. This comment was delivered directly by Slamet Riadi, Head of Research and Public Engagement Department of WALHI South Sulawesi who explained that the current case further emphasizes the existence of dirty and corrupt practices in sea sand mining project for Makassar New Port.
“The public certainly still clearly remembers how we reported on allegations of business monopoly and the involvement of Nurdin Abdullah’s colleagues in sea sand mining project, up to the case of arrest of Governor of South Sulawesi, who was then held by Nurdin Abdullah,” he said.
Not only dirty and corrupt side that characterizes the project, but also the impact that is currently being felt by community along with environmental degradation that is currently occurring.
“The results of latest research we have conducted show that currently fishermen’s fishing ground after sea sand mining has changed drastically such as coral reefs that are damaged to the point of bleaching, turbidity that still occurs when strong currents, higher currents and waves, tidal floods are increasingly lurking, fishermen’s income is no longer as usual, so that many fishermen’s families from Kodingareng Island have to leave their island outside Sulawesi to make a living,” said Slamet.
Finally, Head of Research and Public Engagement Department of WALHI South Sulawesi then urged High Prosecutor’s Office to also investigate and examine Boskalis and Makassar New Port projects.
“I think in this case, sea sand mining project cannot be separated from two things, firstly, sand material used for MNP reclamation purposes and secondly, mining vessel originating from the Netherlands owned by Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. Therefore, the South Sulawesi High Prosecutor’s Office must expand their investigation process, in the sense that it does not only stop in sea sand mining case in Takalar waters,” he stressed.
Currently, investigation process by Special Investigators at High Prosecutor’s Office (KEJATI) is still ongoing and people in South Sulawesi hope that this case will be carried out transparently and without discrimination in handling it.
