AG investigates forestry funds

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (Antara): The Attorney General's Office will soon investigate the use of Rp 58 billion (about US$61. million) in reforestation fund for the peat land project in West Kalimantan province and the 1997 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Jakarta, Forestry Minister Nur Mahmudi Ismail said Saturday.

"We have handed over the case to the Attorney General's Office for further investigation," Ismail said.

Some Rp 23 billion of the reforestation fund was used to dredge the Mahakam River for the ambitious project to develop one million hectares of peat land in West Kalimantan for planting rice. The project, which needed Rp 527 billion, has long been abandoned.

Until now, it is unclear how the fund was used, the minister added.

He also noted that the State Secretariat had released Rp 35 billion to finance the 1997 Jakarta SEA Games.