NEWS - RFD sacks 5 officials for ro

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Subject: NEWS - RFD sacks 5 officials for role in Burmese logs scam

The Nation - June 4, 1999

Headlines

RFD sacks 5 officials for role in Burmese logs scam

FIVE forestry officials have been sacked following allegations of
abusing
their power to help the illegal import of Burmese timber for a company
in
Tak's Ban Tak district.

Royal Forestry Department (RFD) director general Plodprasop Suraswadi
yesterday authorised the discharge of the five officials.

The five allegedly provided false documents to facilitate the import of
a
massive amount of Burmese timber through the Salween forest area for the
2499 Sahawanakit company which is located in Tak's Ban Tak district.

The five are Direk Yoosabai of Lampang's Sob Prab district, Prawut
Tanthanapala of Phetchabun's Wang Pong district, Montri Dejboriboon of
Tak's
Muang Tak district, Sithichai Somjit of Tak's Sam Ngao district and
Uthai
Chaisiri of Mae Hong Son's Mae Sariang district.

Plodprasop said the officials were in charge of forestry districts which
covered the Salween area. He said they provided false permits to allow
the
timber to be transported from the border to the company's site in Tak.

''The company benefitted from this huge amount of illegal timber and
created
a loss for the government in the process. The case clearly involves
disciplinary violations,'' he said.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry's Office of the Permanent Secretary
released a press statement clarifying the role of the ministry in the
controversial Salweeen border reopening issue.

The statement said the ministry had not yet approved of the reopening of
the
border. But it admitted that four logging companies had submitted
requests
to the customs office in Mae Hong Son. The requests remain under
consideration, it said.

''The reopening of the border is not the same issue as timber
importation.
If the imports are approved, the consignments should use the existing
border
pass instead of opening a new one. We have never opened any pass in Mae
Hong
Son yet,'' the press release said.

Yesterday, officials in Mae Sariang district seized illegal timber in
the
area but the origin of the wood remains in doubt. It may be illegal or
merely old timber from local residents homes, sources suggested.