Demolition at BSD done on wrong site

TANGERANG (JP): Demolition work on a 2.5-hectare plot of disputed land at the Bumi Serpong Damai housing complex, which led to a clash between security guards and officers of the Tangerang District Court on Saturday, was undertaken on the wrong site, an official said on Wednesday.

Arief Setyabudi Cany, head of the Tangerang office of the National Land Agency (BPN), said that BPN officers remeasuring the disputed land on Wednesday discovered the error. The disputed plot is claimed by the housing complex and Rusli Wahyudi, a resident of South Jakarta.

Arief said that the land was remeasured at the request of the district court, in order to verify the exact location of the plot.

"The remeasuring was 95 percent accurate so that there is no need for the parties involved in the dispute to worry," he said.

Arief stated that he is not involved in the court case over the disputed land.

Four security guards of the housing complex were questioned by the police for their alleged involvement in the torture of an intelligence officer, identified as Muhasan, of the local military district after last week's clash.

The conflict began when the security guards tried to stop three bulldozers, which were deployed by court orders to remove trees and a wall in the Griya Loka section of the housing complex. The bulldozer was escorted by soldiers and police officers.

The bulldozers retreated after the security guards began to throw stones at the machines.

Residents of the housing complex showed relief after they learned that their houses were not located on the disputed land. The court had sent notification letters to the inhabitants to vacate the site before today's court scheduled demolition of the land.

"We feel like we are being terrorized, because the court sent us letters without clearly mentioning who the notifications were meant for. I suggest if it's not yet clear which site is in dispute, please don't terrorize us," Mrs. Jemi, a resident, said.

Prosecutor Ansyori Thoyib apologized for any inconvenience the residents' may have suffered because of the court's notifications.

However, BSD's lawyer, Thomas, said that the management of the housing complex was now calculating material losses caused by the case and would pursue a legal suit.

It was reported earlier that Rusli claims that he bought the land from its owner, identified as The Kim Tien, who died before documents for the land deal were completed.

BSD spokesman Doni Rahajoe strongly denied this claim, saying that his company's shareholders, PT Supra Veritas and PT Simas Tunggal Center, bought the land from The's heirs, identified as The Men Nio, The Tan Nio and The On. (41/emf)