Five policemen on trial in illegal logging case
Five policemen on trial in illegal logging case
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
The trial of five police officers allegedly involved in illegal
logging activities opened on Thursday at a district court in
Sorong regency, Papua.
The defendants, including former Sorong Police chief Adj. Sr.
Comr. Faizal Abdul Nazer and his ex-deputy Adj. Sr. Comr. I Putu
Mahasena, could be imprisoned for up to six years if found guilty
of violating Article 263 of the Criminal Code on document forgery
in connection with the case.
They could face an additional six months' imprisonment as they
have also been charged under Article 221 of the Criminal Code on
the destruction of evidence.
The other three defendants, Faizal's former subordinates, are
First Insp. Anshar Johar, Second Brig. Aceng Danda and Second
Insp. Widodo.
Another suspect, former Sorong Police chief of detectives Adj.
Comr. Taswin, has been missing for months, possibly to elude the
investigation.
The trial, presided over by judges Marthen Thosuly, Hebin
Silalahi and Andi Asmuruf, was adjourned until Dec. 20 to hear
the defense pleas of the defendants and their lawyers.
The case surfaced after a Panama-flagged vessel, the MV
Africa, laden with 12,000 cubic meters of illegal logs was seized
by water police off Sorong on Jan. 15, 2002.
The ship was then handed over to the Sorong Police, who should
have brought legal proceedings against the vessel's crew and
owners. However, the ship and the illegal logs, which had been
declared evidence, later disappeared for unknown reasons.
Faisal reported to Papua Police Headquarters that the case had
been dealt with in accordance with the law. However, the evidence
he presented to the Papua Police was not the illegal logs seized
from the ship but rather others confiscated from businessman
Felix Welianto.
Felix was detained by the Sorong Police but was later freed
after prosecutors found that the logs presented to them as
evidence were not those seized from the MV Africa.
The National Police say they are investigating the possible
involvement of high-ranking police officers in the illegal
logging case following the confession of Anshar Johar, a former
officer of Sorong Police station's operations division.