Confiscated logs secretly sold

Kasparman, The Jakarta Post, Padang

The Forestry and Plantation Agency in West Sumatra has secretly sold at least 17 truckloads of confiscated logs, which were being held at the agency's office compound on Jl. Raden Saleh in Padang.

Apparently to avoid detection by the public, the logs, which were confiscated during a crackdown on illegal logging eight months ago, were sold and transported at night.

There have been no reports about where the logs were taken.

The agency chief, Jhoni Azwar refused to confirm the sale of the logs, claiming that he knew nothing about it.

"I did not know that the logs had been sold secretly. I haven't yet received a report from my subordinates. I'll check it," he said in Padang on Wednesday.

Upon further consideration, however, he said that the logs had been openly auctioned recently, and not sold secretly. But he did not disclose the value of the illegal logs nor the identity of the buyers.

He was speaking to reporters about the case after attending a meeting with West Sumatra Deputy Governor Fachri Ahmad, West Sumatra Regional Police Chief Adang Firma and all regents and mayors of the province to discuss the authority and security of forestry.

The Jakarta Post observed the confiscated logs being secretly shipped away in an operation which began last Wednesday and stopped on Saturday. The trucks were escorted by a number of police officers.

"It's strange. If they had been auctioned openly, then they should not have been transported secretly during the night," said Indra Sakti, an eyewitness.

A reliable source also confirmed that 17 of the 29 trucks loaded with the confiscated logs in the compound of the forestry agency had been transported secretly from the site. "Now, only 12 trucks are still there," he noted.