Dodgy land deal sealed by group

Dodgy land deal sealed by group

JAKARTA (JP): About 30 former employees of the now defunct
Ministry of Information sealed entry to a 14,198-square meter
plot of land in South Jakarta on Monday which once belonged to
the ministry's State Film Production Company (PPFN).

The film production company exchanged the land, located in the
strategic area at Jl. Kapten Tendean 41, with another plot of
land in the outskirts of the city, on Jl. M. Kahfi II, Cipedak
subdistrict, Jagakarsa district, South Jakarta, in an
unscrupulous land exchange scam, according to the protesters,
Antara reported.

"We want the land to be returned to the government," said Edy
Noor, the coordinator of the Solidarity Forum for Former
Employees of the Ministry of Information (FSPP).

The forum was established following President Abdurrahman
Wahid's decision to disband the Ministry of Information in
October 1999.

The State Film Production Company once operated Studio 41 on
the site, which was the biggest production studio in South East
Asia. During its golden years in the 1980s, the company produced
the extremely popular Si Unyil (600 episodes), screened by the
state television network.

Noor alleged that the land swap agreement, signed in 1993 by
the State Film Production Company and PT Rina Citra Rusanindo
Jakarta and certified by public officer Sugiri Kadarisman, was
fraudulent. This fact had already been revealed by the State
Audit Agency, he added.

Noor said the tender for the land swap was only joined by four
companies, which was far less than the required number. The
highest bid was Rp 10.904 billion however, strangely, the
appraisal team only valued the land at Rp 9.4 billion.

In accordance with the land swap agreement, PT Rina Citra
constructed a building for the State Film Production Company on
the new site at Jl. M. Kahfi II.

The agreement also said that any problem related to land
ownership should be settled within 18 months. However, the new
building's entrance gate was later sealed by another party who
claimed to own the land.

"It's been more than seven years and ownership of the land is
still in dispute. The land swap agreement should be annulled for
the sake of law," Noor said.

Noor said that his forum reported the case to the Attorney
General's Office on March 1, demanding further investigation.