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COLA Says GOB IS Up To No Good With Rosewood

Last night, 7News told you about the Rosewood Amnesty: a 19 day suspension of the moratorium during which Rosewood dealers can recover their confiscated product from government, bring out all those flitches they've been hiding, and sell it all, most likely on the export market where it fetches top dollar.

The decision has stirred public outrage because it seems to be a complete reversal in policy for Ministry of Forestry, which enacted the moratorium 13 months ago to conserve the precious but rare hardwood because it was being rapidly depleted.

The fact remains, however, that rosewood is a valuable commodity, and millions of dollars in wealth was sitting on the ground at the Forestry Department. The official position put out in a press release yesterday is that quote, "The Ministry has decided to�allow the sale/export of already harvested rosewood over the (amnesty) period�to avoid the complete loss of value. As we understand it, Government will share 50/50 in the proceeds of sales of all confiscated Rosewood.

Though all the details are not known - it's an unusual arrangement that illegal traders should profit from legitimate sales of confiscated product.

The first organization, which has come out publicly against the amnesty, is the Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA). Today, the organization's president, Giovanni Brackett, told 7News that it has the appearance of government corruption:

Giovanni Brackett - President, COLA
"This we can't help, but it smells like corruption, it looks like corruption. The question is it corruption? We won't know the real answer until we get a full statement from Minister Alamilla. Now when COLA got outraged at the burning of the Rosewood, when we thought that these Rosewood could have been sold at that time and the money could have been used to some social benefit. We now have to question maybe she did in fact do the right thing, that if she didn't do it, those same Rosewood that were destroyed would have now been issued out back. What is even more outrageous, Daniel, is that the proposal for the government to have 50% profit and 50% goes into the hands of these culprits. That is ridiculous! I mean, it's almost as though you're taking Marijuana or something and now you decide to put an amnesty and still give half of it back to the drug dealer or cocaine. I know that may be defamatory but it is outrageous what the government is doing, it has no explanation, it is very vague and we do not know what really is happening. And why is it that Orange Walk license plate, Orange walk dealership continues to come up into this? We have to begin to question who is profiting from this. Why is it that we are watching our natural resources being depleted right before our eyes. We finally had a minister who was trying to protect, not trying to kill the business but trying to do it in a sustainable way. And as soon as she leaves the country then it is being given out with some thing saying it is an amnesty."

Daniel Ortiz
"In this scenario, Belize gets 50% of all of the revenue from the illegally harvested Rosewood. What else, isn't that a benefit for the country? We would have had to let it sit and it would have been stolen at some point, it's just too valuable."

Giovanni Brackett
"Mr. Ortiz, you bring up a fully loaded question mixed with personal statement. But sir, you have to break what you are saying in three different parts. One, you made the assumption that no one knows what to do; that is your opinion. I am sure that there are a lot of people who know what to do. Secondly, you also mentioned that if these Rosewood were kept there, they would have been stolen. Then you are alluding that we have some weak forces. Then again they steal arms from the BDF, who else will they not be able to steal from. It just simply means that we should have done more consultations, or not even consultations. There are people who know the government, BELTRAIDE does a lot of research, you can't tell me that we can't have officials who know how to make the right connection to sell. It's just a matter of selling. This is a valuable commodity that China and other parts of the world want badly. It's just a matter of picking up the phone and selling what you have. Then if you're telling me that you're satisfied with 50% with the profit and 50% goes to the culprit; if you read our release, it said that we should get a 100% of the profit and then a percentage of the profit should go back into replanting and replacing the trees that have been lost. That is what COLA is saying."

Daniel Ortiz
"But sir, we have it now. At some point it will go missing. You may say that it's a personal opinion but.."

Giovanni Brackett
"Then sell it before it goes missing then Mr. Ortiz, that is it, let the government sell it before it goes missing. It appears that we have led ourselves to a level of mediocracy and used that mediocracy as excuse to do foolish behavior. It is time for us to move forward, you can't tell me that this day and age, it's 2013, we can't secure two or three containers of Rosewood, and we can't secure it? We have to hurry sell it and share profits with the culprit before it is gone? Then that tells us a whole lot about where we are as a country."

According to our information, the Forest Department will duly quantify and measure all the Rosewood product and will allow it to be sold locally or for export. Reports from the South say that the Amnesty has already excited a buzz of activity as hidden flitches are being moved out by Rosewood agents - who bought product at distress prices and stockpiled it during the moratorium period.

Channel 7


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Cabinet Minister Defends Rosewood Decision, Opposition Wants Transparency

Tonight, Rosewood exporters are making the most of a 19-day amnesty on the precious hardwood. They are rounding up all the flitches they can get their hands on to export it before the amnesty expires on April 26th. The cabinet decision to allow the traders to export all they can - included confiscated Rosewood - has generated controversy. Fuelling that public uproar is a terse release from government - issued after the amnesty started - which gives an insufficient explanation of the programme - it only says that Government quote, "has decided to �allow the sale/export of already harvested rosewood."

Today we pressed Security Minister John Saldivar for more details as he exited WAVE Radio's "Fus Thing Da Mawnin" where he makes a weekly appearance.

Hon. John Saldivar - Minister of National Security
"We made a decision that we should allow the exportation of these Rosewood by the exporters, and that there should be some sort of profit sharing formula between the Government of Belize and the exporters. I believe it's a 50-50 profit sharing formula."

Jules Vasquez
"However, aren't we legitimizing those who have ran a red light in the law?"

Hon. John Saldivar
"Well I imagine what is of concern to Cabinet, is what we do with this valuable product that is on the ground, and we have to be realistic about what to do with it. The last time the minister set fire to close to half a million dollars' worth of Rosewood, there were those who applauded her for that but there are also those who felt that it was a waste of resources. So, Cabinet has tried to strike a balance and see how we can get rid of those Rosewood that is on the ground. So that after April 26th, we can have a clearer direction as to where we go with the Rosewood trade."

Jules Vasquez
"How do those who were smuggling it, stand to gain legitimately from it, when they should have lost all rights because it was confiscated under a government and active moratorium?"

Hon. John Saldivar
"Well, like I said, we are trying to strike a balance between bringing some finality to this issue, remembering that yes, there are some Rosewood that were confiscated, but there are also Rosewood out there that have not been confiscated and that we don't know where they are. They are just lying out there. So, we want to make sure that we get to round up all of the Rosewood so that when we start with a new Rosewood harvesting policy, that we are starting from scratch."

Jules Vasquez
"So isn't the fact of it is that the people who are involved in the Rosewood Trade are so well connected in a political sense that you all have to give them some fraction of return on what is hundreds of thousands of dollar, possibly millions of dollars?"

Hon. John Saldivar
"I don't know that that factored into Cabinet's decision to come up with this program. That any of the names of the exporters were discussed, and this is being done because we feel this is the best to conclude this matter so that the Forestry Department, when it is finished with it's stock-taking and comes up with a new Rosewood Harvesting policy, can start from scratch without having to worry about those Rosewood that were harvested before the new policy takes place."

Forestry Minister Lisel Alamilla returned to the country today but told us she needs to get updated before she speaks with the media.

The PUP also issued a release today saying it quote, "condemns the lack of transparency and apparent facilitation of corrupt activities in relation to the rosewood issue." End quote. IT adds that quote, "While the PUP is not against the sale of illegally harvested rosewood to benefit the public purse�the PUP calls on Government to give a full and proper account for all proceeds, including disclosure of who the contractors/exporters are, the value of sale, and to whom exported."

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The Real Rosewood Deal: DPM's Brother Is @ Top Of Food Chain

Last week when the Rosewood news broke - it had the air of a scandal - a private trucking company carting out thousands of board feet of confiscated rosewood from the forestry compound in Belmopan. Since then, Government has tried to get in front of the story - but mostly they've ended up getting run over by it. And that's because there hasn't been any coherent and orderly explanation of what's happening, why and when the decision was taken. But today, back from Istanbul and up to speed on all the latest developments, Minister of Forestry Lisel Alamilla addressed the media in an 8:30 press conference at the Fisheries building in Belize city. 7news had a front row seat:� This morning, Minister of Forestry Fisheries and Sustainable Development Lisel Alamilla was calm and at ease as she met with the media.

She opened with a statement:

Hon. Lisel Alamilla, Minister of Forestry Fisheries and Sustainable Development
"The events of the past week have understandably given cause for concern. The decisions and actions were taken with full cognizance that the decision, while not being a popular one, was with the best interest to resolve an impasse in the local Rosewood trade. The rationale for Belize's decision - the Government's decision is based on several mutually supporting activities. To account for the entire volume of Rosewood currently available and to dispose of it and to concurrently be in compliance with a decision made by CITES on March 14th with respect with the trade in Rosewood. The CITES decision directly limits and affects the exportation of Rosewood in its raw form as logs or flitches, lumber, veneer and plywood sheets. With this in mind, the Ministry of Forestry Fisheries and Sustainable Development undertook to institute an amnesty period on all harvested Rosewood. The purpose of the amnesty is to allow all those persons in possession of Rosewood material to declare it to the Forest Department.

I see the amnesty period as essential to ensure that the Forest Department accounts for the remaining volumes of harvested Rosewood material and to permit the eventual sale and export."

The exports will be handled by a local company called GIV, that's German Vega's company.

Hon. Lisel Alamilla
"The material that we have confiscated, we sold to GIV. They are buying it from us. We will then allow them to export it before they export it. They will have to pay government 50% of the revenues earned from that sale. Every exporter, because this material was illegally gotten, as a penalty they will have to pay us 50%."

Alamilla stressed that the 50% is a penalty - but the profit for the Rosewood dealers must still be substantial because Rosewood dealers are jumping through hoops to get their Rosewood together for export right now. And the lynchpin in the operation is the company called GIV.

Jules Vasquez
"The involvement of GIV, the G and the V being German Vega; is the involvement of that company being the brother of the Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Forestry - is that an indication that there is political collision and is being orchestrated to facilitate UDP insiders?"

Hon. Lisel Alamilla
"It is a fact that GIV is one of the largest exporter of Rosewood. But anyone who gets material and wants to export it and has the connection and has the finances to pay the government before hand, before they export it, they will be allowed to export this material."

Jules Vasquez
"There's every appearance that the decision was made to facilitate and enrich this UDP insider - Mr. German Vega."

Hon. Lisel Alamilla
"Well that is the perception that people have and I don't think I can do anything to erase that perception."

But Alamilla did want to dispel the perception that the Amnesty period is just a concoction after GOB was busted by the PLUS TV Footage.

Hon. Lisel Alamilla
"I think it was, of course, a downfall on our side that we didn't come out and release this information and so it creates the suspicion that something fishy is going on. I will accept the responsibility of my Ministry that we didn't come out with this information prior and explained to the public why we were doing this. So I'm hoping that today we will be able to rectify that. I think it was discussed in Cabinet for three consecutive Cabinet meetings. It was discussed at length and debated at length and it was the decision of Cabinet that even though this was perhaps not going to be viewed as politically smart. It is necessary for the governance of our Forest resources."

And judicious management of those resources means clearing out the old stock before the CITES regime is effected.

Hon. Lisel Alamilla
"There's material that comes that has to be declared pre-convention material. That is what we are trying to gather. What is pre-convention material? We know that there is material out there that we need to get it out. It's not a decision that we are excited about or happy about but we acknowledge that it's real."

And that reality is also why Alamilla says they have the dealers arranging the sale and export.

Hon. Lisel Alamilla
"The trade of Rosewood is very tricky with China in that you send the material and you don't get paid. Sometimes people have to be hassled and it's risky because once the material is gone, you don't get paid. They don't pay you before. They pay you upon receipt of the material. So it was the decision of Cabinet that we were not willing to take the risk. So the revenue sharing that we're doing, which is 50-50; the exporters will have to pay Government before they are allowed to export the 50%."

And while government now has to protect its commercial position - it seems Alamilla had to vacate her principled one. After all, it's she who effected to Rosewood moratorium 13 months ago and she who burnt the Rosewood in January.

Jules Vasquez
"Isn't this facilitation of exportation of what you know is almost extinct - endangered hardwood. Isn't that a complete reversal of all the stances you have taken?"

Hon. Lisel Alamilla
"Jules, it is the reality of this trade. It's a valuable commodity. It is a challenge that countries face when trading invaluable commodities and nobody likes to be placed in this situation."

No export has happened yet and Alamilla has invited the media, mayan leaders and NGO partners to be present when they are loading and measuring the Rosewood. All the exports will have to be CITES certified. For clarity, the local Rosewood will be sold to GIV Import/Export Company for five dollars per board foot and government has about twenty five thousand board feet, or slightly more.

The companies registry records shows that the company is owned by Ignacio German Vega and Amir Awe in trust for Arlo Vega. It is headquartered in the Commercial Free Zone.

Channel 7


Rosewood sold to brother of Minister Gaspar Vega

Forestry Minister Lisel Alamilla took the hot seat this morning to explain the recent rosewood scandal. It includes a decision by Cabinet to declare an amnesty for those in possession of the precious hardwood, and to approve the sale and export of rosewood with government splitting the profits from sales. We'll have that explanation in a few, but first the shocking news which probably came as no surprise to anyone in the political peanut gallery�Remember that confiscated rosewood which was caught on video last week as it was moved from lockdown at the Forestry Compound in Belmopan? Well the company doing the moving was no other than GIV Enterprises. GIV is the acronym for German Ignacio Vega, who is the brother of the very powerful U.D.P. Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Forestry Gaspar Vega. Today, Alamilla spoke about GIV and the government owned rosewood, more than twenty-five thousand board feet. Freelance reporter Mike Rudon has the story.

Mike Rudon, Reporting

The rosewood caught on video last week as it was loaded onto trucks, and a lot more illegally harvested rosewood which has been confiscated by the Forestry Department, now belongs to GIV, or German Ignacio Vega Enterprises. But don't despair or panic just yet�according to Minister Alamilla, all revenues derived from the sale and export of that confiscated rosewood will go into public coffers.

Lisel Alamilla

Lisel Alamilla, Minister of Forestry

"Those belong to the government of Belize, they are the property of the government of Belize and they are being sold for exportation."

Reporter

"And who will get the revenue and how much of it?"

Lisel Alamilla

"The government will get all the revenues from the sale of that rosewood, the twenty-five thousand board foot. That is the property of Belize, that has already been put into the system of government property�that and other material that we have at the Machaca Forest Station and at Savannah. All that material is logged and accounted for in Forest Department and we are selling that material for them to export."

Reporter

"Selling to whom?"

Lisel Alamilla

"We're selling that right now to GIV."

So how did the company owned by the brother of the Deputy Prime Minister come onto the scene? Well Alamilla explained that, and also changed her story of government getting all the revenues from the sale of that confiscated rosewood.

Lisel Alamilla

"We thought about it and discussed it and what we learned about it is that the trade of rosewood is very tricky with China in that you send the material and then you don't get paid. Sometimes people have to be hassled and its risky, because once the material is gone you don't get paid, they don't pay you before, they pay you upon receipt of the material. And so it was the decision of Cabinet that we were not willing to take the risk, and so the revenue sharing that we were doing which is fifty-fifty, the exporters will have to pay government before they are allowed to export, the fifty percent�in addition to what we are going to get from the twenty-five thousand board foot and probably even more when we have added everything else that we have in Machaca, so twenty-five thousand board foot, say at five dollars per board foot, that clearly government's property. Then we are going to do a revenue sharing agreement where fifty percent of the revenues will come to Belize, to the government of Belize, and fifty percent to the exporter."

And how much exactly does fifty percent of the profit work out to? According to Alamilla, at this point the Ministry has absolutely no clue.

Lisel Alamilla

"The fifty percent will be gotten once it's sold on the international market. I can't declare to you what that percentage will be per board foot because we're getting different information about what it's worth on the global market, so we're really trying to figure out what is the real cost once this material is landed in China or Taiwan where it's most likely to be shipped. That is why we're doing the research to find out what it costs, because we're not going to be taking the exporters word that this is what they'll be making�because like I said up to now we have not been able to really ascertain what it is they are getting. They are telling us that they're not making a whole lot of money, etc, but the truth is I don't believe them and so we have our sources and we're sending out to find out what they would earn once the material is landed in China."

And anyone could be forgiven for looking twice, or even three times at GIV, since this is certainly not the first time the name of the Deputy Prime Minister or his close affiliates, in this case brother, has come up in the movement of illegal rosewood.

Lisel Alamilla

"If you really follow the rosewood trail you will find out that this is not about P.U.P., that it is not only U.D.P.s who are involved in this�that really GIV is the exporter of the product. The people who they are buying it from, and if I list the names, they are all PUPs. So who is benefitting are both P.U.P.s, U.D.P.s and no Ps�just Joe Public. It is a fact that GIV is one of the largest exporters of rosewood but anyone who gets material and wants to export it and has the connection and has the finances to pay government beforehand, before they export it, they will be allowed to export the material. So it is not only limited to GIV. Other people who have been exporting and who can source the material on the ground, they can come in, declare their product and we will give them permission to export it."

Reporter

"But how can we in the media be sure that the decision�there's every appearance that the decision was made to facilitate and enrich this U.D.P. insider, Mr. German Vega."

Lisel Alamilla

"Well that is the perception that people have and I don't think I can do anything to erase that perception."

Mike Rudon for News Five.

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Vega just insured a PUP victory should he be head of the UDP party next elections. PUP should 'knock on wood'.


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Association Involved in Management of Protected Areas Calls On Government To Rethink Amnesty On Rosewood

The Association of Protected Area Management Organizations (APAMO) has called on Government to rethink its position to implement an amnesty period, allowing the export of illegally harvested Rosewood.

APAMO says while it was in full support of the moratorium declared one year ago and supported the destruction of confiscated Rosewood, it strongly disagrees with the Ministry's recent decision that will allow the illegal loggers and private sector companies to profit from the Rosewood in their possession.

APAMO's release says since any logs confiscated by the Forest Department become the property of the Government of Belize any sale of it by the Government should have been undertaken in a transparent manner, and the intent of sale should have been publicly declared through an open bidding process and the revenues generated from the sale of the material could then be directed to the necessary stock assessments of these trees. APAMO says it calls on the Ministry to revisit its position in moving forward with the management of Rosewood, and to ensure the sustainable management of the threatened species is undertaken in a consultative and a transparent manner.

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Rosewood Amnesty Ends; Minister: "Tomorrow Is A New Day� I Still Love My Job"

The 19-day Rosewood Amnesty ended today and the Forestry Department says it is still collecting data, and won't know until next week the volume of Rosewood collected under the Amnesty.

But the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development Lisel Alamilla - in a quite candid Facebook post - seems to be glad it's over. She says all material will be stamped by the end of the day and next week the team begins supervision of loading for the export market. She says when total material is quantified the figure will be sent to CITES and as it is exported it will be tracked and deducted from the total sum allowable as pre-convention Rosewood.

She adds that material that was moved during amnesty from out of Toledo district was for the local market, for later export as a value added product. She says this was causing confusion so her department disallowed any movement out of the district. Alamilla says she went into the bush with Forest Department and two conservation NGOs to determine if fresh Rosewood was being cut. Her findings were that the reports of cutting of new trees was not supported by what she observed on the ground. She said if trees were felled during this amnesty, that would be minimal.

Her post says the next phase is compiling an inventory of standing rosewood. She adds emphatically that the amnesty has NOT been extended for two more weeks.

Alamilla closes by adding that quote, "tomorrow is a new day� For those who care and wonder, I still love my job." End quote.

Channel 7


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PM Speaks On Rosewood Amnesty

And finally tonight, we have the Prime Minister speaking on the controversial Rosewood Amnesty. It finished on Friday and the Forestry Department is now tallying all that will be stamped and approved for export. The amnesty ahs been roundly, almost universally condemned, and the PM says, he hears it well enough.

Hon. Dean Barrow
"I cannot be disrespectful of public opinion but I still think that that was a legitimate, simple and practical way to go. Look there's talk of principals that were involved and connection to the UDP. While those that do the actual exports are limited in number - the people who cut the rosewood and sell to the brokers and exporters are regular folk in Toledo. That is why I said according maximum respect to those that almost violently disagree with the government's position - I would appeal for them to join us in drawing a line in the past. And we're saying freely to this issue and moving forward now in a sustainable way with respect to the harvesting of this most precious natural resource."

And while sound Rosewood management is one thing, the enrichment of select private companies is another. That's the charges that has been leveled against GIV, the company owned by the Deputy PM's brother. We asked a tough question about that company and got not much of an answer.

Jules Vasquez
"GIV is a substantial campaign financier for the UDP."

Hon. Dean Barrow
"Oh really? Well Sir you know better than I do. Let's put everything out on the table. GIV is owned by the brother of the Deputy Prime Minster and I have no doubt that GIV or Mr. Vega helps his brother. I can personally say - No let me say; I can tell you Categorically that GIV has not contributed a penny to the central coffers of the UDP."

Channel 7


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Is rosewood still being cut?

Tonight, there is video footage purportedly showing that contrary to the official government line the movement of rosewood in southern Belize is a thriving industry. The amnesty period was closed on April twenty-sixth and in his press conference earlier this week Prime Minister Dean Barrow asked those who were opposed to that amnesty to move on, and to draw a clear line under the past, content that the rosewood free for all has been brought to a crashing halt. But that is going to be easier said than done, especially after footage released today by our friends at Plus Television. With a look back at the PM's rosewood statement, freelance reporter Mike Rudon has the story.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

"The CITES convention is in effect. So this really is an end to the free for all trade in rosewood. So even if government is not able to police this thing as effectively as it would like, there is now this backstop that you can’t export it; nobody will allow you�countries will not receive shipments of rosewood except if those shipments are certified by the government of Belize. So lord man, I think we can really now draw a line under the past with respect to this issue."

Mike Rudon, Reporting

But it is clear, and has been for some time to everyone but those in government, that exporters have not gotten that memo about freshly cut rosewood not being certified for export. The footage you are looking at here was taken just a couple days ago on Tuesday morning, between eight and nine am, at two separate compounds on the Southern Highway just minutes from the Machaca Forest Station. You can see the rosewood stacked in mounds waiting to be transported. You can also clearly see what appears to be very freshly cut rosewood logs�the difference between those and the older logs is clear.

The amnesty provision was clear�that no rosewood could be cut during it, and only rosewood cut previous to it could be produced for inventory, certification and export�but almost immediately multiple reports were received from down south of teams of men working around the clock to cut rosewood for transport. Everybody knew, even as the government seemed to be oblivious, turning a blind eye even now.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

"There was talk that�oh well dehn noh just di bring in weh dehn di cut. Since amnesty, dehn di cut more. There was an easy way to determine that as Minister Hulse and Alamilla made clear to those of us in cabinet that are uninitiated in this regard. And it turned out that that was not so. So again, while as I said accrodign maximum respect to those that almost violently disagree with the government's position, I would appeal for them to-as I said-join us in drawing a line under the past."

As you can see from this footage; that line won't be so easily drawn.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

"I perfectly understand that there was great force of opinion, great strength of opinion, against the cabinet's decision regarding the amnesty. One has to respect that and no doubt there is-hopefully not in the long term, but hopefully in the short term-some political price to pay for that."

The footage of the rosewood was taken between eight and nine in the morning. Just hours after the logs had disappeared, hurriedly packed into trucks for transportation and, we have no doubt, export. Mike Rudon for News Five.

The Minister of Forestry was not in office when News Five attempted to secure an interview.

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Forestry's Final Figures From The Rosewood Roundup

The Rosewood Amnesty finished two months ago and today the Forest Department released the final figures listing how much rosewood was collected during the 19 day period and from which purchasers. The Chief Forest Officer discussed it today:�

Wilbur Sabido - Chief Forestry Officer
"We're talking about a total of 400,000 port feet that has been declared to the forest department. Actually in total royalty we are talking close to $200,000 paid in royalty. In terms of tonnage we're talking close to about 580 tons to that 400,000 port feet that I mentioned before. All of the Rosewood that has been declared has actually been measured in the Toledo District. Currently we are in the process of supervising the loading of the Rosewood to the containers by various exporters. As it is right now especially in the South we have presently containers being loaded - what is done is basically, our officers keep a tally what is being loaded versus what is declared. So in essence when the time for exportation comes we need to have clear evidence in terms of the receipts being presented to us and is paid the royalty on the Rosewood that has been declared."

Jules Vasquez
"Have you all encountered any Rosewood that had been cut post amnesty - that had been cut between April 8th - 25th, 2013? You all said you would know because because it is distinctive and you can tell from the physical quality."

Wilbur Sabido
"Well we saw some that we felt was cut during the time that you mentioned, post the period that we had said we wouldn't be accepting any harvesting of Rosewood. Based on our estimate it was really a small percentage probably a 1-5% of the total that has been declared."

Reporter
"There have been allegations in the past of collusions between some of the persons harvesting or trading Rosewood and persons within the Government service and even within the forestry department."

Wilbur Sabido
"From way back I have spoken about that and I believe the Minister made absolutely clear her position of alleged corruption in the Forest department and throughout her ministry and certainly that is something that I too am very concerned about in terms of the allegations. Now I do recognize that for the Toledo district especially there have been numerous allegations and what we've done is we've in essence rotated staff out of the Machaca forestation. Also in terms of the checks and balances for this batch of Rosewood that is being allowed for export, we have been very meticulous in terms of documenting the flitches - flitch by flitch, where they come from and who we're buying it from. Also the check and balance occurs for instance in this case in the Toledo District, they are supervising the loading, also when it reaches the port - there will be a new set of Forest Officers that inspect the container flitch by flitch if they have some suspicion that there is some mixing of stamp with unstamped material. So that we feel is an added level of scrutiny."

Jules Vasquez
"How about the value? How will the market value be determined and when will the Government get it's 50% of them?"

Wilbur Sabido
"In all honesty I'm not completely certain of those arrangements that have been made between the Ministry and the exporters in terms of the 50%. I would gather that they will need to present legitimate receipts from whoever it is they sell the material to and based on that the Government will be deriving it's portion that they had agreed with exporters."

Sabido sent us the list this evening. It lists the amnestees - if we can call them that - where they are from, the volume of Rosewood they claimed under the amnesty and the amount paid in Royalty. But we note that the intended exporter - which in most cases is GIV Import/Export Company is not listed.

Channel 7


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