Tuesday 11 September 2007

Officials Suspected Of Illegal Logging

Officials Suspected Of Illegal Logging

Source: The Jakarta Post - September 4, 2007
JAKARTA
The National Police headquarters have named over 350 suspects, including dozens of Forestry ministry officials and police officers, in illegal logging cases in Riau, Jambi, and Central, East and West Kalimantan provinces, a top police officer said Monday.

"In Riau province alone, there are a total for 189 suspects of illegal logging -- and among them are forestry officials," National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said as quoted by detik.com news portal.

"Meanwhile, there are a total of 170 illegal logging suspects in Jambi, Central, East and West Kalimantan provinces, 12 of whom are East Kalimantan's forestry ministry officials and another two are Central Kalimantan's forestry officials." He said the forestry ministry officials were implicated via letters of approval that proved they were involved in the illegal activity.

"They will be charged with the Law No. 41/1999 on forestry and the anticorruption law, as well," the officer said. Bambang did not specify where the police officers named had been working. He said the officers would be handed over to the police's internal affairs division for further investigation. -- JP