Local officials involved in logging scam

Local officials involved in logging scam

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: Legislators and academics here on Monday urged related authorities to thoroughly investigate the exports of illegal logs allegedly involving several government officials.

The export of the timber, aboard five ships from East Kalimantan early last month, reportedly breached a joint decree signed by the forestry minister and the trade and industry minister.

"There must be a legal investigation on this case as it has been rumored to involve a number of officials," Abdul Hamid, a member of the provincial legislative council, said.

Last Thursday, head of the East Kalimantan Attorney's Office Masduki and his deputy Wisnu Subroto as well as other local senior prosecutors were fired for inexplicably dropping the case against the operators of the five ships.

Sarosa Hamongpranoto, a local academic, backed calls for the reopening of the investigation and urged the legislative body to summon the governor to clarify possible roles of his family in the illegal logging. --Antara