Governor declared suspect

Governor declared suspect

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Kupang Police have declared East
Nusa Tenggara Governor Piet A. Tallo a suspect in a corruption
case involving a health facility project worth Rp 15 billion
(US$1.83 million), causing the state to suffer Rp 3.83 billion in
losses.

"I will request a letter of permission from President Megawati
Soekarnoputri on Monday through the East Nusa Tenggara Police
chief to examine Tallo as a suspect in the corruption
allegation," Kupang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Viktor
Simanjuntak said on Sunday.

Tallo was just re-elected as governor on June 19.

The police have heard the opinions on the allegation of legal
experts Prof. Dr. Natabaya, who is an expert adviser at the
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, and former minister of
justice and human rights Prof. Dr. Muladi.

"Should the state suffer material losses from the project, the
official who allowed this to happen should be held responsible,"
Simanjutak quoted both experts.

In the meantime, the police are still waiting for the
president's response. -- Antara

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Scene-Bali-turtle
Balinese protest against WWF
JP/4/SCENE

Balinese protest against WWF

DENPASAR, Bali: Around 100 people from the Desa Adat
(customary village) in Tanjung Benoa staged a protest at the
Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Wallacea Bio-Region office here
on Saturday, demanding the government revoke the anti-turtle
poaching regulation.

The protesters also demanded that the WWF come up with
alternative sources of incomes for former turtle hunters.

They also accused the WWF and other environmental NGOs of
pushing the government to conduct the recent raids and seizures
of several turtle-poaching boats in Bali and Kalimantan.

"We were granted a quota of 5,000 turtles a year by the late
governor IB Mantra. It was decreased to 3,200 turtles a year
under governor IB Oka. And now it has totally disappeared. We
want the quota back," said the head of the Tanjung Benoa Desa
Adat AA Gde Asrama said.

The WWF strategy leader for the sea turtle campaign, Ngurah
Mahardika, told the protesters that his organization was ready
for any dialogue on the development of alternative sources of
income for former turtle hunters.

"In fact, the WWF is conducting a participatory mapping on the
village's resources and potential to determine the most
appropriate alternative sources of income," he said. -- JP