Illegal gold exploration in Jember reported to DPRD
Wednesday, September 27 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
A senior executive of Paramitra foundation has asked the legislative council (DPRD) in Jember regency to investigate an alleged illegal gold exploration in forest concession area owned by the state owned forestry company Perhutani in the regency, Surabaya Pos reported.
The foundation's chairman Afton Ilman Huda said in Jember on Monday that the gold exploration was carried out by a group of men with modern mining equipment. According to him, the gold exploration was carried out without the consent of Perhutani, which owns the forest area.
He suspected that the gold exploration was carried out by PT Jember Metals, which is partly owned by Jusuf Merukh. "I will ask the councilors to investigate the gold exploration even if the exploration is carried out by Jember Metals," he added,
PT Jember Metals has obtained a contract of works from the government to prospect gold in some 150,000 hectares of land area in Jember regency, East Java. The company is currently surveying the area as part of its sampling activities. (*)