Council speaker to be tried

Council speaker to be tried

TANGERANG: The Tangerang municipal council speaker, Gian
Sugiarsono, will soon stand trial in the Tangerang District Court
for the unlawful appropriation of a 7,080 square meter plot
belonging to a private foundation in the village of Keroncong,
Jatiuwung district, Tangerang, say prosecutors.

Nani Warsidi, spokesman for the Tangerang Prosecutors' Office,
said on Tuesday that there was sufficient prima facie evidence to
bring Gian to court.

"The police have just handed the suspect over to us, and as
soon as the files are complete, the matter will be brought before
the court," said Nandi, who is also the intelligence director at
the Prosecutors' Office.

According to Nandi, the case arose after the chairwoman of the
Yayasan (Foundation) Pendidikan Islam dan Umum, Sukarni Eliyah,
reported to the police in February that the suspect had illegally
rented parts of the plot in 1992.

The suspect's action hampered the foundation's plan to build a
school building on the plot as 10 illegal tenants had built food
stalls, permanent kiosks and car repair workshops on the land
with Gian's consent, Nandi said quoting Sukarni.

Gian's action had allegedly inflicted Rp 1.5 billion in
financial losses on the foundation, which repeatedly sent written
warnings to the council speaker, but to no avail.

Nandi said the suspect, who has not been detained, was accused
of violating Article 385 of the Criminal Code on the unlawful
appropriation and use of land. This Article carries a maximum
punishment of four years in jail. --JP