Developer denies abducting family

JAKARTA (JP): The developer of the Rancamaya Estate in Bogor, about 30 kilometers from here, denies the claim that the company "abducted" a resident who refused to surrender a house for which he is behind in payments.

The developer's lawyer, Faisal Tadjuddin, told journalists in Bogor that Suryana Angkasa refused to leave the house and that the company did not intend to isolate him, much less abduct him.

Earlier, the developer had asked the family of eight to voluntarily leave the house while those who had left were barred from returning.

Faisal added that the company had referred the dispute to the local police and that it had considered taking legal action to have the family removed.

Suryana paid a down payment of 20 percent for the Rp 356 million (almost US$160,000) for the property but, according to Faisal, has failed to pay the agreed upon installments.

Suryana's lawyer Wenny Cokrosuwarno earlier charged that the developer had isolated her client since June 12, making it difficult for the family to even go out to buy their daily needs.

Antara reported yesterday that the house under dispute is tightly guarded by the company's security guards who will repel any uninvited guests. (pan)