Prosecutor owns land in protected forest
JAKARTA: Head of the Unaaha Prosecutor's Office Tjahya Budiman allegedly owns land in a protected forest in Southeast Sulawesi province, said coordinator for the Coalition Against Corruption (KAK) Erick Lawid on Monday.
Erick said that Tjahya illegally possessed a plot of land of between 10 and 40 hectares in a protected forest in Andabia village, Unaaha regency.
The KAK team's investigation, staged in April and May, found that Tjahya obtain a land title from the Southeast Sulawesi provincial forestry office early this year, ignoring the previous Unaaha regent's notation that the land was part of a protected forest. But newly installed Regent Lukman Abunawas has apparently allowed Tjahya to be issued a land title for the land.
"We regret the new regent's decision, allowing Tjahya to continue cutting down trees on 'his land'," Erick told reporters here.
Tjahya's land is predicted to produce around 2,000 cubic meters of logs, which can generate some Rp 14 billion (US$1.7 million) in revenue.
"We call on the Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa to revoke Tjahya's land title in the protected forest and for the Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) to audit Tjahya," Erick said. -- JP
;JP;IWA;YEMRIS;ANTARA; ANPAa..r.. Across-councillors-hotel-election Councillors stay at hotel prior to election JP/5/ACROSS
Councillors stay at hotel prior to election
KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Thirty-eight East Nusa Tenggara councillors have been put up at hotels for three days prior to the election of the province's governor and deputy governor.
The head of the Golkar Party faction, Melkianus Adoe, told The Jakarta Post on Monday that 20 councillors from the Golkar Party and 18 from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) were being housed at several star-rated hotels in Kupang. Eleven councillors from the coalition faction and six from the Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police faction rejected the offer.
"The main reason to have them stay in a hotel is to make consolidation and communication easier. It's also easier for the councillors to go to the council building if they stay in the same place," he said.
But councillor Arif Rahman from the coalition faction said that the move indicated a lack of democracy within both parties.
Golkar has nominated Esthon Foenay and Gaspar Parang Ehok to run in Thursday's election. They will challenge the incumbent governor, Piet A. Tallo, who is backed by PDI Perjuangan.
Kupang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Viktor Simanjutak said that 350 officers had been deployed to guard the council building, the councillors' houses and particularly the nominees' houses. -- JP
;JP;IWA;YEMRIS;ANTARA; ANPAa..r.. Across-flight-tourists No flights means no tourists JP/5/ACROSS
No flights means no tourists
MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: The local provincial administration has blame the lack of flights connecting Jakarta and Mataram for its Rp 2 billion (US$243,902.5) financial loss due to the cancellation of visits by 400 foreign tourists last month.
Head of the provincial culture and tourism agency Machfud Ahmad said on Monday that the tourists canceled their visits to Mataram as there were no direct flights from Jakarta.
Machfud said that the administration and local tourism businesspeople had prepared arts and traditional events to welcome the guests before the cancellations.
To in a bid to avoid further cancellations, the administration has sent a letter to national air carrier Garuda Indonesia to add flights from Jakarta.
Machfud said that the number of foreign tourists visiting the province had been increasing after the slump caused by last year's Bali bombings and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in several Asian countries. Most tourists visiting the province spend their time at resorts and hotels along Senggigi beach, 12 kilometers from the capital Mataram. -- Antara