Developer asked about land fraud

Developer asked about land fraud

JAKARTA (JP): Police have questioned executives of a property
developer, along with some Bekasi residents, in connection with
the alleged illegal sale of a 20 hectare plot of land.

Speaking at a press conference Saturday, National Police
spokesman Brig. Gen. K. Ratta said that the developer, identified
only as PT HDP, was believed to have purchased the plot located
at Pejuang village in West Bekasi through illegal means.

"The land certificates and other related documents were
believed to be fake," the one-star general said.

Ratta said that a special team from the Money and Document
Counterfeiting unit of the National Police Headquarters are still
investigating the validity of the documents.

Police also plan to question a number of Bekasi officials this
week.

According to the preliminary investigation, police said an
executive of PT HDP, identified only as BG, purchased the plot
from the former owners who had reportedly sold the same plot to a
man identified as JB, 40.

Upset by the fact that someone else also claimed to have
bought the 20 hectare plot of land, JB then took the case to the
police who then conducted an investigation into the matter.

The Bekasi Land Agency reportedly issued certificates between
1985 and 1987 under the name of BG, who apparently processed the
land documents based on documents he obtained from the landlords
who had earlier sold the same plot to JB.

The Bekasi agency reportedly issued certificates for the same
plot of land to JB between 1981 and 1984.

JB, police said, had asked the former land owners to oversee
and utilize the land for short-period farming with the
understanding that they would relinquish it when he needed it.

But the ex-owners claimed to still own the plot and paid
property taxes when officials of the local tax office came to the
scene for an inspection.

Based on the property tax receipts from the tax office and
alleged collusion with officials of the subdistrict and Bekasi
Land Agency, the ex-owners of the plot processed new land
certificates and then resold the plot to BG who was reportedly
convinced the documents were original.

Police believed that the land agency would not have issued a
new certificate without the help of corrupt officials.

"We'll question some officials of the subdistrict office and
the local land agency as well next week," Ratta said.

None of PT HDP's executives could be reached to comment. (bsr)