Jakarta – The House of Representatives' law commission legislators, grouped with the Mesuji investigation team, has disclosed several irregularities in the issuance of permits for PT Silva Inhutani to manage an industrial forest.

According to Ahmad Yani, one of the team members, the rubber and oil palm plantation firm obtained permits for forest management from the government, without prior recommendation from legislators.

"In 1997, the permit was revoked. But seven years later it was re-issued by the Forestry Ministry without our consent," the United Development Party (PPP) lawmaker said Sunday as quoted by tempo.com.

National Awakening Party (PKB) lawmaker Bahrudin Nashori pointed out another irregularity, saying that the forest area owned by the firm had in fact continuously increased every year, also without legislators' knowledge.

"What is going on here? Initially they only controlled 10,000 hectares in 1986 and that increased to more than 43,000 hectares in 2004," he said.

Bahrudin also questioned the firm's decision to put "Inhutani", which belongs to a state-owned company, in its original name and change it from Silva Budi to Silva Inhutani. "[Did they change the name] in order to obtain a bigger concession of land management," he said.

The irregularities were discovered when 12 House legislators met with officials from the Lampung Police, Lampung administration and the National Land Agency. The legislators promised that they would summon officials of the National Land Agency, as well as the Forestry Ministry to the House for questioning. (awd)