Prosecutor owns land in protected forest

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

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Across-councillors-hotel-election
Councillors stay at hotel prior to election
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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

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Across-flight-tourists
No flights means no tourists
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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