Carousel of intrigue as fairground ouster proceeds

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The removal of the management of the Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, proceeded peacefully on Thursday amid fears that it could possibly turn violent.

Thousands of officers from the Jakarta Police, the military and the city public order agency were deployed to secure the eviction at the 251,600-square-meter plot of land and buildings, as decreed by the Central Jakarta and North Jakarta District Courts.

The two courts decided in favor of tycoon Siti Hartati Murdaya against her former associate Edward Soeryadjaya in a legal dispute.

The dispute started when Hartati accused Edward of not giving her shares as promised in PT Jakarta International Trade Fair (JITF) after her Mauritius-based investment vehicle, Jerome International Limited (JIL), bailed out JITF when it was mired in financial difficulties.

Although Edward had promised to give 52.5 percent shares in JITF to Hartati's PT Central Citra Murdaya, he instead asked for debt restructuring.

Jerry B. Rampen, the Central Jakarta District Court executor who led the eviction, demanded JITF representatives to vacate the main building at the fairground immediately after he read the court decision at 10:10 a.m. The eviction started at 11 a.m.

The fairground hosts the Jakarta Fair to commemorate the capital's anniversary each year.

JITF legal affairs executive Diah Pertiwi had requested a two- day grace period to pack up company property in the building, but Jerry rejected the request, saying that the team had to complete the eviction in one day.

Jerry ordered around 500 porters to enter the main building to remove and store company property at court warehouses in Cakung, East Jakarta, and Bekasi.

Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. YM Jaya fulfilled JITF's request and allowed only uniformed porters and police officers into the building.

While the eviction was being carried out, David Tjioe, alias A Miauw, a close aid of businessman Tomy Winata, was spotted at the venue. He was acquitted last year by the Central Jakarta District Court of charges of violence against others and a minor assault on Tempo magazine's office following the daily's report linking Tomy with the February 2003 Tanah Abang textile market fire.

David said he was invited by friends to take part in securing the eviction, and denied that his presence indicated Tomy's interest in managing the fairground.