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BKK Post,February 19, 1998



February 19, 1998


                                     


              Forestry chief asks
              police to seize
              13,000 logs in Tak

              Local officials among suspects to be
              arrested

              Supamart Kasem and Chakrit Ridmontri 
              Tak

              Forestry Department officials have asked the police to seize
              over 13,000 illegal logs in Ban Tak district and take legal action
              against the owner of the timber and other involved officials.

              Forestry Department chief Sathit Sawinthorn made the request
              after members of the House Local Administration Committee
              requested investigations into the case and experts from the
              Agriculture Ministry found most of the logs were illegally felled.

              According to the complaint, Kamol Kaewket was authorised by
              Sahawanakij Company last December to have the logs delivered
              from Mae Sariang district of Mae Hong Son to Ban Tak district
              under some Mae Sariang forestry officials' permits which were
              believed to be fake.

              Those involved face charges of having logs in their possession
              without permission and using fake log delivery permits. The
              officials face a malfeasance charge.

              In another case, 13,000 seized logs in the Salween national park
              and wildlife sanctuary were not imported from Burma but cut in
              protected areas, a senior Customs Department official said
              yesterday.

              After the bribery scandal of deputy Forestry Department chief
              Prawat Thanadkha had been linked to massive illegal logging in
              the park and sanctuary, the department was accused of being
              involved in the illicit operation.

              The accusers, including senior officials at the Forestry
              Department and Forest Industry Organisation, said logs which
              were cut in protected areas could be legalised through fake
              documents indicating that they originated in Burma.

              Traffickers in collaboration with customs officials colluded in
              making up official documents.

              Phachara Sinsawat, department secretary, denied the accusation,
              saying the batch of 13,000 logs had never been in the
              department's record.

              He said before imported logs reached customs officials at the
              border checkpoint, forestry officials had to inspect the certificate
              of origin, calculate the volume and issue the import permit.

              Without the certificate of origin and permit, customs officials
              would not allow tax collection from importers. The officials had
              to inform district and provincial administration officials, border
              police and the armed forces about the inspection procedure and
              result, he said.

              Agriculture Minister Pongpol Adireksarn said he would not
              move Mr Prawat to an inactive post during a ministerial
              committee investigating the bribery scandal.

              Mr Prawat tried to hand over a five-million-baht bribe to Prime
              Minister Chuan Leekpai for the Thai-help-Thai Fund last week
              but it was rejected. Mr Chuan asked Pol Lt-Gen Seri Temiyavej
              to probe the source of money which Mr Prawat said was linked
              with illegal logging in the Salween.

              However, he insisted that Mr Prawat and forestry chief Sathit
              Sawintara had done their best to protect the park and sanctuary.
              He was convinced that the cause of illegal logging in the Salween
              was the Karen minority hired to cut trees.

              Mr Pongpol said: "Illegal logging is not a matter of politics. The
              bribery case emerged because the officials work hard in
              suppressing illegal logging, so the traffickers have put much more
              effort in hauling logs from the park and sanctuary." 




                                     




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Last Modified: Thu, Feb 19, 1998