Councillor faces logging charges

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 04/01/2006 9:11 AM  |  Jakarta

Theresia Sufa and Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Bogor/Tangerang

Bogor Police will soon summon a member of the regency council for questioning over the latter's suspected involvement in an illegal logging case.

Bogor Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Kamil Razak said Friday that the councillor, identified only as AM, allegedly ordered 63 rubber trees in a plantation in Rumpin subdistrict to be cut down. The plantation is owned by PT Gunung Munara.

""We have written to West Java Governor Danny Setiawan to inform him about the questioning,"" he said.

Police said the illegal logging took place two weeks ago.

Based on information from the plantation owner, the police arrested five people who felled the rubber trees using two portable power saws and loaded them into a truck.

The suspects said the logs were later sold.

They also told the police they were working on an order from the councillor.

""I am responsible for the logging ... Just do what I tell you,"" one of the suspects quoted the councillor as saying in response to being asked whether he held a logging permit.

Each log was sold for Rp 4 million, the suspects said.

The head of Bogor Council's disciplinary committee, Sopian Tsauri, said the committee had been informed of the summons.

""We are now holding an internal hearing to get to the truth of the matter,"" he said.

Meanwhile, Influential figures at Tangerang regency administration have pushed Regent Ismet Iskandar to go the extra mile in the defense of his subordinate, who is implicated in a Rp 3.3 billion graft case.

""We have prepared a team of reputable lawyers to represent Wildanul Firdaus in court,"" he said Friday.

Wildanul, who was formerly head of the local social affairs agency and one of the regent's expert advisers, was detained by prosecutors Tuesday.

He was named a suspect over the misuse of regency budgetary funds in 2004.

""Wildanul is still a member of staff. He is innocent until the court says otherwise. There is no need for prosecutors to arrest him,"" Ismet said.

Anwas Sulistyo, head of the special crime section at the Tangerang Prosecutor's Office, said Wildanus' case was ready for court.

Wildanus was accused of abusing his authority by distributing funds earmarked for the development of religious facilities to the 11 factions in the local legislature.

The Corruption Law stipulates a maximum punishment of 20 years' jail and a Rp 1 billion fine for the offense.

The Tangerang District Court sentenced early this year former councillor Syamsudin, the main suspect in the corruption case, to four years' jail.

The former member of the Crescent Star (PBB) faction was found guilty of embezzling budgetary funds totaling Rp 300 million for the renovation of 18 boarding schools.

Wildanul transferred the money to Syamsudin's bank account on March 29, 2004, after the latter made plans for the money to be directed to the 18 boarding schools. Only Rp 68 million reached the schools. The case was exposed in August by a number of non-governmental organizations.

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