Sutiyoso gave go-ahead for Kemayoran land scam<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
City Governor Sutiyoso admitted on Thursday that he had approved
\nthe sale of 10-hectare plot of land worth about Rp 30 billion
\n(US$3 million) belonging to city-joint venture firm PT Jakarta
\nInternational Trade Fair (JITF) in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Yes, I signed the letter but I should (re)check it. The sale
\nwas aimed at covering the firm's debt,\" Sutiyoso told reporters
\nat City Hall.<\/p>\n
Separately, city spokesman Muhayat claimed that Sutiyoso
\nsigned the approval letter in his capacity as the firm's
\npresident commissioner.<\/p>\n
Muhayat said the land was never recorded as a city asset,
\nsaying that it belonged to the company which managed the Jakarta
\nexhibition ground.<\/p>\n
\"The sale itself has not yet happened,\" he claimed, adding
\nthat the governor had resigned as the company's president
\ncommissioner earlier this year.<\/p>\n
During the City Council session in response to Sutiyoso's 2001
\nbudget speech on Tuesday, the National Mandate Party (PAN)
\nfaction accused Sutiyoso of collusion and corruption when he
\napproved the land sale.<\/p>\n
Five percent of PT JITF's shares is owned by state-owned
\nKemayoran Management Body (BPKK), 52.5 percent by PT Jaya Nusa
\nPradana (JNP) and 42.5 percent owned by the Japan Development
\nCorporation.<\/p>\n
The city-owned Jakarta Fair (PRJ) Foundation owns 25 percent
\nof the shares of PT JNP, which used to own a 44-hectare plot of
\nland in the Kemayoran fairground, and 75 percent of the shares is
\nowned by developer PT Griya Nusa Pradana (GNP), which is
\ncontrolled by businessman Edward Surjadjaja.<\/p>\n
PT JNP exchanged its 44-hectare plot of land in Kemayoran for
\na 52.5 percent share in PT JITF.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso approved the sale of the 10-hectare plot of land to
\nPT GNP.<\/p>\n
The land sale was planned to cover part of PT JITF's debt
\namounting US$120 million to the Japanese government. The debt
\nreportedly had decreased to US$20 million as the Japanese
\ngovernment gave it a reduction.<\/p>\n
Even though Muhayat argued that the land in Kemayoran was not
\nincluded as a city asset, councillor Ugiek Sugihardjo of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle insisted that it still
\nbelonged to the city.<\/p>\n
He suspected corruption behind the land sale as it was done
\nwithout the council's approval.<\/p>\n
\"We have demanded that the sale be canceled,\" Ugiek, who is a
\nmember of the council's special team investigating the case, said
\non Thursday.<\/p>\n
He suspected there was \"insider trading\" involved as the land
\nworth about Rp 30 billion was sold to PT GNP.<\/p>\n
He alleged that Edward had tried to buy the land for years to
\ndevelop a huge property project in the area.<\/p>\n
Muhayat admitted there was a plan to sell the land to PT GNP.
\n\"If the land is sold an to outsider it will be dangerous,\" he
\nsaid without explaining.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sutiyoso-gave-go-ahead-for-kemayoran-land-scam-1447893297",
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