Logging company Seruan Gemilang Makmur (SGM) Sdn Bhd lodged a police report today to counter Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob's denial that he was involved in a logging scandal involving the state Umno.

The report was lodged by the company's director Lee Sin with the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters. He also submitted two letters which allegedly prove that the menteri besar was aware of the deal.

Last Saturday, Adnan lodged a police report in Kuantan against the allegation by opposition leaders that he had abused his power in the approval of a timber concession to Umno Pahang in 2000.

The ruling party later gave SGM the exclusive right to log and sell the timber on the 10,000-acre land, dubbed 'Umno's land'.

In his report, the menteri besar said that under the law, concession could only be given by the state forestry department after consent is obtained from the state executive committee.

'Telling lies'

The letters included in SGM's report dated July 3 and Nov 13, 2002 respectively, were allegedly issued by the Pahang forestry department director Mokhtar Mat Isa.

The letters allegedly stated that the company's application to log on a replacement area was awaiting the menteri besar's approval.

It is learnt that SGM had sought to log on a replacement area since a portion of the 'Umno land' had been intruded by others.

"I have proof and documents that show the decision in approving the logging area was (made) by the Pahang MB as stated in the formal letters issued by the state forestry department to my lawyer," said the company director in his police report, copies of which were later distributed to reporters.

"The department's director informed us that the approval falls under the MB's decision and did not mention ( that the decision) was made by the state executive council - as claimed by the MB," he added.

Speaking to reporters later, Lee accused Adnan of telling "lies" to the public in the latter's media statement after lodging the report.

Under current laws, permission must be obtained from the state executive committee before logging can be done on state-owned land while for private land, the matter is referred to the menteri besar.

A bone of contention in this controversy was that Umno Pahang had failed to pay the RM4.8 million land premium despite obtaining the land in 1998. This means, the land , which has already been stripped of trees, technically still belongs to the state.

Royal commission

Meanwhile, DAP national publicity chief Ronnie Liu who was also present this morning urged the police to swiftly probe the case since it involved a very senior government leader.

He also hoped that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - who has vowed to fight corruption - would take a personal interest in the matter.

Liu added that despite Adnan lodging a police report, the menteri besar was unable to answer the allegations raised by SGM.

In a statement earlier this week, DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang suggested that the premier forms a royal commission to probe the allegations of logging scandals, malpractices and corruption in Pahang.

The veteran politician also described Adnan's police report as a tit-for-tat political move which "obfuscates rather than reveal the truth".

In a related development, SGM's Lee told malaysiakini that he was grilled by the police for three hours on Monday at the Kuantan district police headquarters but refused to elaborate.

Kuantan Anti-Corruption Agency ( ACA ) officials are expected to record a statement from him tomorrow.

Another SGM director Syed Ali Badarudin was questioned for three hours by the ACA officials in Kuantan yesterday.