JAKARTA — An Indonesian palm oil company that dropped a lawsuit against a fire expert whose testimony led to its being fined is suing a second time, in what observers call a frivolous action meant to intimidate him. The first hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 17, with PT Jatim Jaya Perkasa (JJP) suing Bambang Hero Saharjo, an expert on fire forensics at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), for 500 billion rupiah ($32 million) for what it says was false and exaggerated testimony. JJP had previously sued Bambang in 2018 for a similar amount, 510 billion rupiah ($36 million at the time), only to subsequently drop its case. That came after Bambang had testified in legal proceedings brought in 2015 by Indonesia’s environment ministry against JJP for negligence over fires on its concession in Sumatra. Bambang’s testimony was seen as key in JJP being found liable and fined 491 billion rupiah ($36.7 million at the time). In its first lawsuit, JJP had focused on a technicality — Bambang’s use of the IPB logo in materials he presented during his testimony — rather than the substance of his expertise. The new lawsuit, filed in December 2023, centers on Bambang’s assessment of the total area burned as a result of the company’s negligence. The company says the figure he gave of 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) was much larger than the 120 hectares (300 acres) that a lower court had ruled the company liable for. The environment ministry in 2016…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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