Defence from Hercules' Camp After Being Accused of Illegally Occupying Land

The camp of the Chairman of Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia Bersatu Jaya (GRIB Jaya), Rosario de Marshal alias Hercules, has expressed its stance regarding the Tanah Abang land dispute. For information, GRIB Jaya is currently managing the disputed land as it was mandated by the heirs in the name of Sulaiman Effendi. They claim to hold ownership documents for the land near Tanah Abang Station in the form of Eigendom Verponding number 946 from 1923 in the name of Ilias Rajo Mentari. The land has become disputed because PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) or KAI also claims the same plot of land. The state-owned railway company holds a Sertifikat Hak Pengelolaan Lahan (HPL) issued in 2008. Wilson Collin, Deputy Head of Legal and Advocacy for GRIB Jaya and the Heirs, revealed that his side objects to being accused of illegally occupying the land. He emphasised that in the Tanah Abang land dispute case, the heirs of Sulaiman Effendi, who hold the Eigendom Verponding, have never once sold the land to PT KAI. “It has never been released; if it had been released, that would mean we are occupying it wildly. Now there has been no sale transaction, so how can it be wild occupation,” said Wilson. According to Wilson, GRIB Jaya regrets the statements by the Director of PT KAI and Minister PKK Maruarar Sirait, which are considered highly tendentious. “Therefore, I emphasise that if they want to, it should be resolved civilly. We have already pursued this civilly because there are tendencies to blow it up as if we are occupying it; on Wednesday we already registered it at the Central Jakarta District Court,” said Wilson.