KUCHING: Deput y Chi e f Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said yesterday he had directed the case where seized logs and machinery worth millions of ringgit were released recently to be investigated. “I have directed it to be investigated.
Who is investigating, I don’t have to mention here. But I have directed, not the Forest Department actually, but other agencies to do the investigation,” he told reporters when met at Pullman Hotel yesterday.
Tengah was asked about the over 3,500 seized logs, 14 units of heavy machinery worth about RM7 millions seized in Bintulu, that were handed over to the Forestry Department by the Sarawak Forestry Department (SFC) for appropriate action, but had been released after a “no case” decision by the investigation committee. Director of Forest Department Sapuan Ahmad was reported to have confirmed the release of the logs and vehicles seized during the raid on alleged illegal timber logging.
He was also reported to have disclosed that a committee set up to probe the case came to the conclusion that there was no case against the companies which logged the area.
Tengah, who is also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development and Second Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources, said, “I myself I do not know what is the committee that the Forest Department is mentioning.
But definitely, it is not the anti- logging committee which is chaired by me.” Asked when he expected the investigation to be completed and if he had set a dateline, Tengah said, he asked them to do the investigation as soon as possible.
