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