Story By: Lee Bullen,Sub Editor: Joseph Golder,Agency: Asia Wire Report
The Indonesian father of the “most prolific rapist in British legal history” – Reynhard Sinaga – is reportedly wanted in his home country for illegally clearing an area of forestland for a palm oil plantation in 2017.
Sinaga was sentenced to life in prison in the UK for 136 counts of rape against 48 men and the story dominated the headlines in his home country Indonesia, according to reports.
The UK authorities also said that they have evidence that Sinaga assaulted at least 190 victims over a 10-year period after moving to England to study in 2007, although many still remain unidentified.
The case put Sinaga’s family in the spotlight and reports of an illegal business venture by his father has recently surfaced.
He is the son of a property tycoon named Saibun Sinaga who lives in the city of Depok in the Indonesian province of West Java with the rest of the family.
Meanwhile, his father has now been implicated in a deforestation case in the province of Riau, according to local media.
Reports said that a man identified as Martua Sinaga was sentenced to three years and eight months in jail in 2019. At least one report states he is planning to appeal.
He was charged with illegally clearing 288 hectares of forestland in 2017 to make way for a palm oil plantation.
It is reported that the authorities in Riau discovered that the defendant was acting on Saibun Sinaga’s behalf after he allegedly wired money to him to carry out the land clearing project.
Saibun Sinaga was summoned to testify in the case but reportedly failed to do so.
A police spokesperson said: “Up until now, Saibun Sinaga still maintains his wanted status.”
It is unclear whether the local authorities are planning to arrest him in connection with the offence.
His son was a post-graduate student in Manchester who was found guilty of 136 counts of rape, eight counts of attempted rape, 14 counts of sexual assault, and one count of assault by penetration against 48 men.
He lured his victims from outside nightclubs to his flat where he drugged and sexually assaulted them while filming the scenes.
Most of his victims could not recall the assaults due to the date rape drug he used.
Sinaga was arrested in 2017 when one of his victims woke up while being assaulted and managed to fight him off.
He was described by prosecutors as “the most prolific rapist in British legal history”.
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