Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency, the KPK, has vowed to include environmental damages in its calculations of state losses incurred through corruption--a move that could translate to heavier sentences and fines for crimes in the natural resources sector. The announcement comes in connection with its ongoing prosecution of Nur Alam, the suspended governor of the province of Southeast Sulawesi who faces 18 years in prison for allegedly abusing his authority to grant mining licenses from 2009 to 2014. The KPK has alleged huge losses incurred by the state as a result of the illegal mining permits, and the severity of the charge relies heavily on estimates of environmental damage. The KPK sees the move as a breakthrough that could lead to heavier sentences and fines in corruption cases in the natural resources sector. But nongovernmental organizations say the agency should have cracked down harder, including seeking fines in the same amount as the alleged losses to the state. In a twist, the expert who helped derive the monetary figure for the environmental damages now faces a lawsuit from the defendant’s team, which claims he presented an inaccurate calculation. For the full story, visit: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/indonesian-graftbusters-put-a-price-tag-on-environmental-crime/.