President asked to issue permit to probe district heads

Pekanbaru, EoF News— Ad hoc Committee II of Regional Representative Council (DPD) urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to immediately issue summon letter to several officials who allegedly involved in illegal logging in Riau, Koran Tempo daily (28/9/2007) reported.

The call is followed by the statement from the National Police Headquarters today in Jakarta that the institution had submitted a request to the President to issue permit to probe five Riau district heads, Detik.com website reported (28/9).

The National Police Spokesperson Sisno Adiwinoto said that the police still await the President’s permit which normally the request is handled within 60 days since it is submitted.

In Pekanbaru, the Regional Representative Council held meeting with Riau environmental NGOs, and Indonesian Forestry Business Association (APHI) here on Thursday.

The Committee’s coordinator, Instiawati Ayus, said that the call is to smoothen and speed up the legal process taken by law enforcers.

“Through PAH II [the Chamber’s Committee II] of Riau’s DPD, we urge the President to issue the summon permit, not only for officials, but also to accelerate law enforcement process against the perpetrators who are not official, Instiawati, the member from this province, said.

She said that the findings on the ground showed that the deforestation occurred is not equal to the restoration conducted by timber companies who use raw material for pulp production from natural forests in the province.

"They sourced from partners and take [wood] from natural forest before 2009, not from productive forest,” Instiawati said.

Meanwhile, a parliamentarian from Commission II, returned gift parcel sent by PT Raja Garuda Mas (RGM) to Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Kompas Cyber Media reported Friday.

The member of House of Representatives, Aulia Rahman, who concurrently serves as Illegal Logging Working Committee member, said he received the 50x50-cm gift parcel of dates on Thursday afternoon.

RGM is a holding company belonged to tycoon Sukanto Tanoto and affiliated to Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL). “I don’t know PT RGM, but as far as I know PT RGM is a timber company operating in Riau,” Aulia said.