A ship carrying logs worth thousands of dollars belonging to the the Solomon Islands North New Georgia Timber Corporation has been released after earlier being detained under the provisions of the Timber and Forestry Acts.
Forestry Department officials have declined to explain why the ship was detained or why it was subsequently released
The ship's release was ordered by acting Forestry Minister, Samuel Manetoali.
The current Forestry minister, Job Dudley Tausinga, is a director of the logging company.
Mr Manetoali says he ordered the release because the logs were already cut and the options were either to stop the export of the logs and let them rot and waste or proceed with the export
Proceeds of the sale will be held in trust while a court examines the circumstances of the ships detention and release.
