Illegal logging activity in Jayapura, West Papua – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Four trucks loads of illegal Merbau (Intsia Bijuga) seized from trader Basman Gultom are still being kept at Impounding Warehouse (Rupbasan) in Jayapura.
The Jayapura District Court is currently hearing the case.
“The Forestry Police have found the logs were transported from Arso without legal documents. The permit expired and the trader used a permit for another company. They are currently attending the trial, therefore they entrusted their goods to us here,” the Head of Administration and Maintanance of Rupbasan Demianus Merahabia told Jubi at his office on Tuesday (14/7/2015).
Merahabia said each truck with Makassar police number namely DD 9222 AS, 9961 EB, 8754 LC, 8563 LC loaded 600 cubic of Merbau logs. It means the four trucks loaded 2,400 cubic of logs with measurement of 20 x 10 cm and 2 meters length. Its price could reach five million per cubic.
The 5 x 10 cm log is sold for five million rupiah per log. By multiplying it, the 24 thousand cubic would value more than 12 billion. But we don’t know how much they bought it from the local people and when would they sell it,” said the Acting Head of Rupbasan Jayapura Yohanes Sabami at his office.
Sabami said the logs would be returned to the owners or seized for the State. It’s up to the court’s decision. If it said the logs should return to the owner, we will give it. But if it goes to the State, it means those logs would be rotten like the rest,” he said.
A year ago, Jubi reported the logs from any kind and size that seized by the police and Prosecutor Office since 2006 to 2013 have get rotten in the yard of Rupbasan Office.
“The process is on going but it has not completed yet. It’s finally stuck. After the Court’s decision, the seized logs would be immediately executed whether it would be sold or destroyed. But the Prosecutor Office has not executed those logs for years. We can understand it if it just for months,” Sanang said in the interview with Jubi at his office at Expo Waena, Jayapura on Thursday (9/10/2014).
He admitted he often held communication with Prosecutor Office who authorized to do the final execution over the logs, but up to now it’s never been done.
“We keep communicate with them and they always said yes without realization,” he said by giving the examples of oral and written communications he’s done in order to save dozens of logs.
Meanwhile, the Section Head of Maintenance and Storing of Rupbasan said the logs were kept outside under the rain and the sun. Some are getting rotten and some even already got rotten. Its economic value is decrease. The State will loose hundreds of million rupiahs. “The logs were damage for nothing. It’s big loss for the stage,” Sabami told Jubi at his office.
Based on data issued by Rubbasan on September 2014, there are 6,983 logs of any kind and size or equal with 139,66 cubic. If it was converted in rupiah; the second quality log would reach two million rupiah per log. The State lost more than 278 million rupiah. While the first quality of Merbau log reaches 4 million rupiah per cubic, and the State loss 556 million rupiah. (Mawel Beny/rom)
