Confiscated logs secretly sold<\/p>\n
Kasparman, The Jakarta Post, Padang<\/p>\n
The Forestry and Plantation Agency in West Sumatra has
\nsecretly sold at least 17 truckloads of confiscated logs, which
\nwere being held at the agency's office compound on Jl. Raden
\nSaleh in Padang.<\/p>\n
Apparently to avoid detection by the public, the logs, which
\nwere confiscated during a crackdown on illegal logging eight
\nmonths ago, were sold and transported at night.<\/p>\n
There have been no reports about where the logs were taken.<\/p>\n
The agency chief, Jhoni Azwar refused to confirm the sale of
\nthe logs, claiming that he knew nothing about it.<\/p>\n
\"I did not know that the logs had been sold secretly. I
\nhaven't yet received a report from my subordinates. I'll check
\nit,\" he said in Padang on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Upon further consideration, however, he said that the logs had
\nbeen openly auctioned recently, and not sold secretly. But he did
\nnot disclose the value of the illegal logs nor the identity of
\nthe buyers.<\/p>\n
He was speaking to reporters about the case after attending a
\nmeeting with West Sumatra Deputy Governor Fachri Ahmad, West
\nSumatra Regional Police Chief Adang Firma and all regents and
\nmayors of the province to discuss the authority and security of
\nforestry.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post observed the confiscated logs being
\nsecretly shipped away in an operation which began last Wednesday
\nand stopped on Saturday. The trucks were escorted by a number of
\npolice officers.<\/p>\n
\"It's strange. If they had been auctioned openly, then they
\nshould not have been transported secretly during the night,\" said
\nIndra Sakti, an eyewitness.<\/p>\n
A reliable source also confirmed that 17 of the 29 trucks
\nloaded with the confiscated logs in the compound of the forestry
\nagency had been transported secretly from the site. \"Now, only 12
\ntrucks are still there,\" he noted.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/confiscated-logs-secretly-sold-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}