April 21, 2026 | 10:44 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Head of the Jakarta Provincial Environmental Agency, Asep Kuswanto, has been named a suspect in the case of the trash landslide at the Bantargebang Landfill, which resulted in the deaths of seven people. Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stated that identifying the suspect is part of the legal process concerning the alleged mismanagement of waste.
"This designation is part of the law enforcement process concerning alleged mismanagement of waste that does not meet norms, standards, procedures, and criteria, and is aggravated by the presence of fatalities and severe injuries," Hanif said in a statement on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
Hanif believes that the landslide incident proves that the Bantargebang Landfill's management has not been in accordance with the regulations. "The investigators are now continuing the legal process by designating a suspect responsible for the management," he said.
Deputy for Environmental Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment, Rizal Irawan, explained that law enforcement authorities had taken action long before naming the suspect. According to Rizal, the Ministry of Environment had imposed administrative sanctions on the Bantargebang Landfill management since December 31, 2024. "We then conducted the first administrative sanction supervision on April 12, 2025, with non-compliant results," said Rizal.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment issued a warning letter on April 22, 2025, and provided time for improvements. However, during the subsequent surveillance on May 9, 2025, the Ministry found that the management still did not meet the requirements.
Amidst this process, several trash landslides occurred from November to December 2025, and then again in March 2026, resulting in the deaths of seven people. From March to April 2026, the Indonesian National Police and the Ministry of Environment's law enforcement officers questioned several witnesses, including those from relevant agencies and experts, to strengthen the case.
The results of the investigation then led to the designation of Asep Kuswanto as a suspect. "On April 21, 2026, the investigators conveyed the suspect designation as a result of a case development conference," said Rizal.
Despite being named a suspect, Rizal stated that Asep was not arrested. However, the legal process will continue, including further investigation into the possible involvement of other parties. "There is no arrest, but the legal process will continue," he said.
Read: Mismanagement at Bantargebang Landfill
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