North Korea – Pic – Esta Fast Track
In Tasmania, more than a $ billion dollars of taxpayers’ money have disappeared into the black hole of Forestry over the past few decades. Some of that may be accountable but the remainder could have been shrewdly transferred from companies or corporations into clandestine overseas organisations such as Room 39.
Room 39 is a secretive organization in North Korea, which supposedly contains over a dozen bank accounts in China and Switzerland, and seeks ways to maintain foreign currency slush funds.
Established by Kim Il-Sung in the late 1970’s, Room 39 whereabouts remains unknown. Some experts believe that Room 38 (wherever that is) was merged into Room 39. But in 2010, the two were allegedly split again because of issues with foreign currency.
The organization is estimated to rake in between $500 million and $1 billion each year. Not surprisingly, it may be involved in illegal activities.
It appears that Room 39 is mostly involved in counterfeiting, drugs and insurance fraud. Though it is seems money laundering of foreign currency earnings from exports such as mining and forestry is likely.
Could there be a Tasmanian or Malaysian connection? Did the Gunns’ old-boys coterie have their fingers in this pie?
Sarawak so-called ‘business trips’ suggest there is a Tasmanian senator, an ex Tasmanian premier and ex MLC that may know the answers to those questions?
STT is a corporation, though is merely a supplier of timber resources to outside industries, companies and national and international operators, albeit cost negative to the taxpayer.
I’m sure most Tasmanian Times readers are fairly educated to their identity of those operators within this state. Some of these public forest resource recipients have received $millions through direct assistance, grants, infrastructural projects, subsidies and compensation for reduction or restriction to contractual supply.
A classic example of such activity is forever present, as every time there has been a forest area dedicated to a secure conservation reserve, compensation or recompense (for want of better descriptions) are readily handed over.
The above connection between Room 39 and Tasmania’s Forestry may be pure speculation, though given the extensive corruption within Forest Industries and their associated governments on a global scale, illicitly gained revenue from forestry are most likely being transferred to untouchable organizations such as those in North Korea.
Then again it may be that Tasmanian governments over the last 50 years have simply been stupid, gullible and irresponsible regarding public forest resources and public funding allocations?
If the Hodgman government and the current resource minister Guy Barnett are any measurement to gauge irresponsibility towards forestry policy, then it may come down to merely a culture of ignorance, bias and incompetence.
Either way, most aware people have smelt a rat in Tasmania’s Forestry for decades, and despite conservationist’s failed efforts to educate the Tasmanian public, there continues to be an odorous stench within the coalition of Forestry and our alternating governance!
*Ted Mead has been a conservation and activist since migrating to Tasmania over 35 years ago. Ted says he is in constant disbelief that the average Tasmanian is willing to stand by and allow their natural heritage to be trashed knowing that most of the profit gained from such activity goes beyond the shores of Tasmania, and ultimately comes at a cost to the state’s coffers.
