By EDDIE OSIFELO
CAPE West Enterprise Limited exported round logs on June 23 to overseas without the permission of the Commissioner of Forest.
The company is engaged in logging operations at Qoiqoi, Tangarare in West Guadalcanal.
A reliable source revealed to Island Sun that the license holder is Anthony Veke, the Minister of Police, National Security, and Correctional Services, and Member of Parliament for West Guadalcanal.
Commissioner of Forest, Reeves Moveni, refused to allow the shipment after the company failed to pay a fee of $50,000.
Moveni issued the directive while he was in Brisbane with the Minister of Forestry, Dickson Mua, instructing not to permit the shipment.
However, to their surprise, the shipment proceeded behind their backs.
The close source claimed that the directive to allow the shipment came from a higher authority and not from the Commissioner of Forest or Minister Mua.
The source asserted that this is corruption in its purest form, questioning why the person in the higher authority allowed the shipment when the company did not comply with forestry regulations.
Officials from the Ministry of Forestry traveled to the logging site to halt the shipment, but they were allegedly confronted by landowners wielding knives.
Cape West Enterprise is owned by Joseph Anea, who is the elder brother of Veke.
Despite attempts, Island Sun was unsuccessful in contacting the company.
