Head of West Kalimantan Regional Police Removed
Thursday, 17 April, 2008 | 16:24 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Head of the Indonesian police General Sutanto has removed the West Kalimantan regional police chief Brigadier General Zainal Abidin Ishak due to illegal logging cases.

This was announced by Inspector General Abubakar Nataprawira, Head of the Indonesian police's public relations division.

“He didn’t seem to care about what happened in the area under his supervision,” said Abubakar at the Indonesian police headquarters in South Jakarta yesterday (16/3).

However, he stated there no criminal charges have yet been made against Zainal.

“We need to find evidence of professional ethics violations,” explained Abubakar.

After being removed, Zainal rejected the accusation of allowing illegal logging to take place in his area.

General Sutanto also removed the head of Ketapang sub regional police, Commissioner I Gustav Leo.

Ahmad Sun'an, head of profession and security division for South Kalimantan regional police office was transferred to police headquarters as an officer in the detachment division.

Abubakar said that these removals were carried out as a lesson for other police personnel to not be involved to illegal logging.

“To stop illegal logging from happening again in other places,” he said.

Commissioner Khadafi Marpaung (Head of criminal division for Ketapang sub regional police) and Inspector I Agus Luftriardi (Head of Water police for Ketapang sub regional police) have been named as suspects.

The police have already arrested some government officials, including head of Ketapang forestry department Saiful, and two of his subordinates.

Brigadier General Nata Kusuma will replace Zainal, and Gustav Leo by Commissioner I Karyoto

Currently, Nata is head of the operational command and control center at Indonesian police headquarters.

NURLIS E MEUKO | DESY PAKPAHAN