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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