Dumai mayor named suspect in logging scam

Dumai mayor named suspect in logging scam

Puji Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru

Wan Syamsir Yus, the mayor of Dumai municipality in Riau
province, has been named a suspect in a graft case for permitting
logging in a protected forest, prosecutors said on Monday.

Riau Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Enita Menhar said the
charges against the mayor were filed by the Attorney General's
Office in Jakarta.

She said Wan Syamsir was summoned on Aug. 5 by her office for
questioning at the Attorney General's Office. The mayor complied
with the summons five days later, a source told The Jakarta Post.

"We have carried out an instruction by the attorney general to
summon the Duman mayor as a suspect in the case," Enita said.

The graft investigation had been hampered by the absence of
permission from outgoing President Megawati Soekarnoputri to
question Wan Syamsir. Permission was granted on June 22.

Wan Syamsir has been charged with corruption for issuing a
permit to log 60,000 hectares of the protected Senepis forest
that serves as a buffer conservation area for Sumatra tigers.

Aside from violating forestry laws, the mayor is also accused
of exceeding his authority by issuing such a permit, which is the
domain of the Ministry of Forestry.

The mayor reportedly issued the permit in order to generate
funds to support the Dumai administration.

However, it was not clear how much financial losses the state
has suffered due to the issuance of the unlawful permit.

In a separate case, Riau Prosecutor's Office resumed on Monday
investigating alleged corruption worth some Rp 1.125 billion
(US$125,000) involving the entire legislative council in Kampar
regency for the 1999- 2004 term.

"Today we resume the investigation into the misuse of funds
from Kampar's 2002-2004 budgets, after we took a break due to the
Sept. 20 presidential election runoff," Enita said.

She said prosecutors questioned on Monday the finance section
head at the Kampar administration. M. Ali, and former councillor
Mangara P. Siahaan as witnesses.

Enita could not say when her office would name suspects.
"After carrying out the investigation, we will still have to
evaluate the case to determine whether we will continue the probe
or stop it if there is sufficient evidence," she said.

She said the prosecution had questioned most of the former
Kampar councillors as witnesses, including ex-council speaker
Syaifuddin Effendi.