Officials fired for logging of virgin forests
( 2001-06-04 11:49 ) (1 )

Several forest administration officials have been sacked and 20 others have been arrested for illegal logging of virgin forests in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Wang Xinfeng, head of the Gongliu Tree Farm in the Yili Hazak Autonomous Prefecture in northern Xinjiang, and his deputy Ahmujiang Zak have both been fired and are expected to face prosecution in the case, which involved unauthorized harvesting of about 5,000 cubic metres of spruce timber.

Several higher officials were also removed from their positions for failure to detect the illegal logging.

An unspecified number of Gongliu Farm's trees were felled by strong winds on April 18 this year. Wang Xinfeng supposedly ordered Ahmujiang Zak to clear the fallen trees.

Several days later, authorities found over 5,000 cubic metres of spruce had been logged.

The unauthorized logging of virgin forest is strictly banned under the country's environmental protection laws.