Bad cops undermine illegal logging raids<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Corrupt officers have undermined the police's largest crackdown
\non illegal logging ever this year and could further endanger the
\nprospects for future operations, a top detective says.<\/p>\n
Head of the Ordinary Crime Division at National Police
\nHeadquarters, Brig. Gen. Suharto, told a seminar over the weekend
\nthat police had only managed to recover Rp 40.1 billion (US$4
\nmillion) in state losses from illegal logging, thanks in part to
\ncrooked police officers.<\/p>\n
Police had set a target of contributing Rp 2 trillion to state
\nrevenues from the sale of illegal timber seized during the Hutan
\nLestari (Preserve the Forest) operation to eradicate the rampant
\npractice.<\/p>\n
\"We found evidence that organizers set up the auctions to
\nenable selected buyers who were the previous owners of the
\nillegal timber, or their accomplices, to buy back the logs,\"
\nSuharto explained.<\/p>\n
A timber auction should be announced in at least one national
\nnewspaper five days prior to the date, but in most cases auctions
\nwere announced in an obscure newspaper so that the public were
\nnot aware of the event.<\/p>\n
\"We will launch an internal investigation into police officers
\nallegedly involved in setting up the auctions and find out why
\nthe amount of state assets recovered was so low,\" Suharto said.<\/p>\n
Police, Suharto said, would cooperate with the military, the
\nintelligence agency and the forestry office to stop the
\ncollusion.<\/p>\n
Minister of Forestry Malam Sambat Kaban has estimated annual
\nstate losses from illegal logging at Rp 40 trillion. He also said
\nillegal logging involved not only local government officials, but
\nalso police and military officers.<\/p>\n
While most of the money raised from sales of illegal timber
\ngoes to the state treasury, some will be returned to the police to
\nfinance their operations against illegal logging.<\/p>\n
Suharto acknowledged there was still a large amount of timber
\nthat remained unsold at forestry offices due to administrative
\nprocedures in identifying the origin of the logs. Some of the
\ntimber had been kept too long, causing it to decay and for its
\nvalue to decrease.<\/p>\n
\"We found a large amount of timber whose owners could not be
\nidentified. This is the most difficult part because we can't
\nauction the timbers until we identify the owners,\" Suharto said.<\/p>\n
The police had discovered seven such cases in Papua alone.<\/p>\n
With only Rp 40 billion collected from the auctions, the
\npolice are having difficulty financing their next crackdown on
\nillegal logging, Suharto said.<\/p>\n
The Hutan Lestari operation conducted in Kalimantan, Sumatra
\nand Papua cost almost Rp 12 billion.<\/p>\n
Without additional income to fund the operation, it is widely
\nbelieved that police will seek alternative sources of revenue,
\nwhich ironically includes illegal logging financiers.<\/p>\n
Police are fully aware of the situation in some remote areas
\nwhere many police officers were backing the criminal activity,
\naccording to Suharto.<\/p>\n
\"We are doing our best to eliminate these cases. Police
\nofficers who are involved in these activities will be
\ninvestigated and punished just like the illegal logging
\nfinanciers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Referring to the financiers, Suharto said he regretted the
\nlight sentences handed down by the courts on those who were
\nprosecuted in connection with illegal logging.<\/p>\n
\"This year we completed probes into 10 out of 87 cases, but
\nnine of them were thrown out by the court, acquitting the
\ndefendants. It's frustrating,\" Suharto said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bad-cops-undermine-illegal-logging-raids-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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