Dispute between Hercules and Ara Claims: The Tanah Abang Land Polemic from an Agrarian Law Perspective
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The difference in land ownership claims in the Bongkaran Tanah Abang area, Central Jakarta, between GRIB Jaya General Chairman Rosario de Marshall alias Hercules and Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) Maruarar Sirait has entered a new phase.
Hercules’ side, representing the heir named Sulaeman Effendi, claims ownership of the land based on the old 1923 Eigendom Verponding document as proof of rights to the land.
On the other hand, the government through PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) believes the land is a state asset based on the Certificate of Management Rights (HPL) issued in 2008.
Meanwhile, Sulaeman Effendi, referred to as the heir by Hercules’ side, has filed a civil lawsuit at the Central Jakarta District Court regarding the land ownership claim in the Bongkaran Tanah Abang area on Wednesday (8/4/2026).
Sulaeman appointed the advocacy team of the Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia Bersatu (GRIB) Jaya to fight for ownership rights over the land.
GRIB Jaya Legal Team Chairman, Wilson Colling, said the lawsuit was filed due to differences in ownership claims between his client and the government.
“There (KAI) also says it’s theirs, we also say it’s ours. Therefore, we registered it with the court so the court can determine who it belongs to,” Wilson said in the Bongkaran Tanah Abang area on Friday (10/4/2026).
“On Wednesday, I registered the lawsuit for unlawful acts. The defendants are PT Kereta Api, the Minister of Transportation, BPN, DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, the Governor, because they issued the decision letter (land ownership),” he continued.
Lecturer in Agrarian Law at the University of Indonesia, Hendriani Parwitasari, said the difference in claims needs to be examined from the process of issuing the HPL certificate by the National Land Agency (BPN).
“So, in the regulation of land rights certificates that are issued, whoever the owner is, including state-owned enterprises, it must be measured, visited, and checked. So if there is illegal possession, it should have been known,” she explained when contacted by Kompas.com on Sunday (12/4/2026).
According to her, if Hercules’ side still claims the land based on the Eigendom Verponding document, then the certificate issuance process by BPN can become the object of examination.
“In this case, the government, in this case BPN, must prove whether the certificate issuance procedure (HPL) is in accordance with or not. If there is a legal defect, then the certificate can be cancelled, in this case KAI’s certificate,” she said.