Craftsman sentenced to 3 months in prison for possessing tiger skin

Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru | Archipelago | Tue, April 09 2013, 3:18 PM

The Pekanbaru district court sentenced Suparno Das, 60, a producer of handicrafts using animal skins, to three months in jail for illegally possessing a tiger skin, on Monday. He also faced a fine of Rp 1 million (US$102) or face another month’s imprisonment.

Judge Jahuri Efendi, who led the judge panel, said the defendant had been proven guilty of violating the 1990 Conservation Law. The sentence was lighter than that proposed by prosecutor Ayu Susanti, who sought six months in jail along with the fine.

“The defendant illegally possessed a tiger skin and did not report it to the authorities,” said Jahuri.

However, he said, the defendant had also helped the Riau branch of the Natural Resources Agency (BKSDA) to take care of several tiger skins the agency had entrusted to him for scientific purposes. This led to his lighter sentence.

Police arrested Suparno at his home in Lima Puluh district, Pekanbaru, in December. They also confiscated nine Sumatran tiger skins, one tiger skull, two Sunda clouded leopard skins, four bear heads, 14 deer horns, seven deer skins and several body parts of monkeys and forest cats.

The BKSDA Riau confirmed that eight of the nine tiger skins confiscated belonged to the agency. It assigned Suparno to preserve the skins. However, the craftsman could not explain where the ninth tiger skin had come from.

In its verdict, the judge panel ordered the confiscation of the tiger skin. “This will be handed over to the state along with the eight other tiger skins previously entrusted to the defendant,” said Jahuri. (asw/ebf)