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