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)