Squatters refuse to vacate land
JAKARTA: Some 100 people, who had occupied land owned by state housing company Perum Perumnas in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, refused to leave their homes because they had paid local officials to allow them to stay.
Spokesman of the squatters Isrullah Mufti said at the City Council on Monday that they had paid city police officers, plus officials from subdistrict office and related agencies, Rp 4 million (US$488) to Rp 10 million to remain on the land.
"We don't have receipts because they didn't want to give us any. If the council wants us to identify the officials, we'll do so," he said.
The people occupied part of the 35,470 square meter (sq m) site in Kebon Kosong subdistrict, Kemayoran. They had used the land to build semi-permanent shops. Each person occupied some 30 sq m to 100 sq m of land.
Isrullah said that the officials had offered them the land for purchase, although they knew that it was illegal. The reason the people gave them money was that they wanted to do business there.
City public order officers demolished their property on June 25, a day after the Jakarta Administrative Court issued a decree to delay the demolition.
Central Jakarta Mayor Petra Lumbun said that he received the written decree at 4:30 p.m. on the day after demolition had been completed. -- JP
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Power cut disrupts water supply
JAKARTA: A disruption to the electricity supply at Cawang pumping station, which is managed by public company Perum Jasa Tirta II (PJT II), has stopped the supply of raw water to the Pejompongan water processing installation since 3 a.m. on Sunday.
The disruption has meant that several areas covered by the installation -- Tebet, Menteng, Setiabudi, Sudirman, Thamrin, Muara Karang, Muara Angke, Tomang, Tanjung Duren, Sawah Besar, Mangga Dua and Mangga Besar -- have suffered from lack of water supply.
Public relations manager of PALYJA, French partner to the city-owned PT PAM Jaya, Maria Sidabutar said in a media release on Monday that the company was currently coordinating with PJT II and related institutions to restore electricity soon, to enable Cawang pumping station to resume supplying raw water to the Pejompongan facility. -- JP
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American tried for wife abuse
BOGOR: An American citizen, John William De Koning, 59, was tried at Cibinong District Court on Monday on a charge of physically abusing his wife.
During the trial, De Koning's lawyer, Thomas E Tampubolon, demanded the court free his client because the charge was groundless.
De Koning was reported by his wife Mulyo Widhiastuti Mulyoto to the police for abusing her in their home in Bukit Sentul residential estate, Sentul, Bogor, on Dec. 1, 2002, at around 1 p.m.
In her report, Mulyo said that De Koning abused her out of jealousy and accused her of cheating on him. The verbal argument ended with De Koning pushing Mulyo onto a couch and stepping on her several times. Mulyo suffered bruises to most of her body and was taken to the hospital.
Tampubolon said that the investigation into De Koning was against Criminal Code procedures as the defendant had not been accompanied by an interpreter.
The trial was adjourned to next Monday. -- JP