City gives Tommy two months to vacate buildings
City gives Tommy two months to vacate buildings
JAKARTA (JP): The local authorities will take stern measures
against former president Soeharto's youngest son if two disputed
office buildings he owns on Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur in Central
Jakarta are not vacated within two months, an official said
yesterday.
Central Jakarta Mayor Andi Subur Abdullah told reporters he
would send three notification letters to the management of the
buildings which are owned by Hutomo Mandala Putra, usually known
as Tommy.
"If they fail to abide by our request, we will proceed
according to the existing laws," Andi said without giving
details. "Up to you," he quipped when asked to elaborate.
"But we would be grateful if they move out of the buildings by
themselves," he said.
None of the executives in charge of the buildings could be
reached for comment yesterday.
The administration has declared that the two buildings
violated land-use regulations.
The buildings are the 18-story Humpuss building, which houses
the widely diversified business group owned by Tommy, and the
seven-story Timor building, which bears the name of Tommy's
controversial car project.
The announcement of the violation was made after Soeharto quit
office on May 21.
Presidential Decree No. 25/1995 on the development of the
Medan Merdeka area forbids private companies from building
offices in the area, including along Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur.
The area is a buffer zone for the development of Medan Merdeka
Park, where the National Monument (Monas) stands.
Numerous government buildings, including presidential and
ministerial offices as well as the American Embassy, are located
in the designated area.
Despite the decree, Tommy built the two office buildings while
his father was still in power. Nobody dared to denounce the
violation at the time.
Last June, Tommy asked Governor Sutiyoso to help him sell the
two properties to state enterprises.
He has also pledged to empty the buildings as soon as
possible. However, Sutiyoso refused to reveal whether or not they
had set a deadline for Tommy's businesses to move out.
Sutiyoso, who was appointed Jakarta governor by Soeharto last
October, insisted that both buildings would be used for
government purposes as stipulated in existing land-use
regulations.
Andi said that the governor had never issued any written
instructions on the measures to be taken to encourage the
occupants to move out of the buildings.
"So far, we have only talked to them informally on the
matter," he said. (ivy)