Wed, 09 Apr 2003

Corruption fighter dies at 55

JAKARTA: The acting director of the anticorruption division at the city police headquarters, Sr. Comr. Muchrawi Effendi, 55, died on Tuesday at 3 a.m. at Graha Medika Hospital in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta.

"He had been sick for a long time," said National Police deputy spokesman Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis, who did not name Muchrawi's illness.

Muchrawi had served as the director of the anticorruption division for nine months, replacing Brig. Gen. Bakat Purwanto, who was killed last year in an aerial accident when the aircraft he was flying in attempted a crash landing on the Jagorawi toll road in East Jakarta.

While in office, Muchrawi handled high-profile cases, including the alleged embezzlement of a wealth report from Attorney General M.A. Rachman and the alleged bribery case implicating members of the House of Representatives Commission IX for financial affairs. Both cases are still under police investigation.--JP

;JP;THERESIA SUFA; ANPAj..r.. Focus-SARS-animals SARS does not affect animals: Expert JP/8/GREATER

SARS does not affect animals: Expert

BOGOR: The corona virus that causes the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which is responsible for killing over 100 people worldwide, is not harmful to animals, a virologist said on Tuesday.

Dr. Marthen B.M. Malole from the School of Veterinary at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture, said that the corona virus could also be found in animals, such as chickens, pigs and cows.

He said that in tropical climates, the virus could only last between two and three hours, while in colder climates it could live much longer.--JP

;JP;BNT; ANPAj..r.. Bogor-trees-planted Taman Safari plants 1,000 trees JP/8/GREATER

Taman Safari plants 1,000 trees

BOGOR : Taman Safari Indonesia in collaboration with the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) has planted 1,000 trees on the slopes of Gede Pangrango mountain near Bogor, West Java.

Taman Safari spokesman Yulius Suprihardo said that the regreening program was aimed at improving the environment in the area, which serves as an environmental buffer zone for Jakarta.

Gede Pangrango mountain is part of the Bopunjur (Bogor, Puncak, Cianjur) area, where the 13 rivers flowing through the capital city have their sources.

The amount of forested land in the area has been drastically reduced due to the uncontrolled real estate development and illegal logging.

The program, which also involved students from the Cibeureum state elementary school, saw the planting of 800 teak and mahogany trees.

So far, Taman Safari Indonesia has planted about 400,000 trees in the Bopunjur area.--JP