City warned not to build Kelapa Gading sports complex

Residents of Kelapa Gading housing complex in North Jakarta have threatened legal action against the city administration if it allows the construction of a sport complex to continue.

Speaking at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) on Monday, residents' spokesman Carrel Ticualu said the development of the complex violated the agreed use of the land, which was earmarked for social and public facilities, especially for education purposes.

"If our notice is ignored, we will sue the administration as well as the stadium's developer," Carrel, who is also a neighborhood unit chief in the area, said.

He warned the public not to buy shops, which would be built around the 6.5 hectare stadium, since they would suffer losses and face similar suits from the residents.

Some 500 families rejecting the sports complex will be accompanied by lawyers from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute and be supported by the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) and the city chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi).

Separately, Fakta chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan said a man, who was related to the stadium's developer, earlier tried to bribe him and asked not to support the residents.

"The man asked me not to support the residents and in return I would receive a 'reward'," Tigor said on Monday.

The controversy surrounding the stadium was believed to have been triggered by a dispute between Kelapa Gading housing complex developer PT Sumarecon Agung and the stadium's developer PT Satria Mahaka.

PT Sumarecon handed over the land to the city administration as its obligation for public and social facilities. The company seemed disappointed as the administration appointed PT Satria to build the three-story sports complex.

Sutiyoso is the chairman of the Indonesian Basketball Association (Perbasi) while the developer, Erick Thohir also owns the basketball team Putra Mahaka.

Both disputed parties reportedly "used" non-governmental organizations to support their own interests.

At the beginning of the dispute two months ago, several residents were injured during clashes with officers from the City Public Order Agency guarding the stadium.

Separately, the agency chief Firman Hutajulu said on Monday that his officers would continue to guard the construction site.

"But I ordered my officers to avoid using violence," Firman told reporters at City Hall.