Emotional Tears of Mbah Tupon, Victim of Land Mafia, as Two Certificates Finally Returned
Tupon Hadi Suwarno, known as Mbah Tupon, could not hide his joy after receiving back two certificates belonging to him. The two certificates, in the name of Mbah Tupon and Indah Fatmawati, were returned after being used as court evidence.
The handover of the two certificates was filled with emotional happiness. Mbah Tupon even prostrated in gratitude after regaining his two land certificates.
Handed Over by the Bantul Prosecutor’s Office
The two certificates of Mbah Tupon were directly handed over by the Bantul District Prosecutor’s Office (Kejari). Observations showed that when receiving the certificates, Mbah Tupon was wearing a long-sleeved purple batik shirt, a black peci cap, and dark blue trousers.
Mbah Tupon was seen sitting in front of his house. The Head of the Bantul Prosecutor’s Office (Kajari), Kristanti Yuni Purnawanti, then approached Mbah Tupon while carrying the two land certificates.
Kristanti then handed over the two land certificates to Mbah Tupon. Kristanti stated that each certificate was numbered 24452 in the name of Tupon Hadi Suwarno and certificate numbered 24451 in the name of Indah Fatmawati.
“Both have been declared by the court judge to be returned to the rightful owner, namely Tupon Hadi Suwarno,” she said after handing over the two certificates in Ngentak, Bangunjiwo, Bantul, on Thursday (9/4/2026).
Mbah Tupon Prostrates in Gratitude
After regaining his two land certificates, Mbah Tupon and his wife immediately prostrated in gratitude while crying. Seeing this, Bantul Regent Abdul Halim Muslih, who was nearby, asked Mbah Tupon and his wife to stand up again.
Shortly after, Mbah Tupon and his wife stood up. Mbah Tupon then signed the handover minutes for the two certificates using his fingerprint.
Mbah Tupon Expresses Thanks
Tupon Hadi Suwarno, or Mbah Tupon, admitted to feeling very happy and at peace after regaining his two land certificates that had been evidence in the land mafia case. He expressed much gratitude to all parties who had supported and helped him throughout.
“Peaceful, serene,” said Mbah Tupon to reporters after holding his land certificates again in Ngentak, Bangunjiwo, Kasihan, Bantul, on Thursday (9/4/2026).
When asked about his feelings upon regaining the certificates, Mbah Tupon said he was happy.
“Yes (happy), already content (already happy), now it’s back in my hands (the certificates are back in my hands), thank you,” he stated.
Mbah Tupon also expressed thanks to those who had helped him from the beginning until the certificates were returned. According to Mbah Tupon, God Almighty would repay all their kindness.
“Thank you all for helping me from start to finish (thank you all for helping me from the beginning to the end). I cannot repay anything, the One who repays is the Almighty (I cannot repay anything, the one who will repay is God),” he said.
Once Pessimistic About Certificates’ Return
Meanwhile, the legal representative and member of the Mbah Tupon Defence Team, Suki Ratnasari, continued that on behalf of Mbah Tupon’s family, they expressed their utmost gratitude. According to her, without support from many parties, it would have been impossible for Mbah Tupon to regain his land certificates.
“We truly feel helped by many in this case, because from the start we felt it was impossible for them to return to Mbah Tupon given the very difficult situation. But it turns out nothing is impossible,” she said.
“And the kindness from all of you will surely be repaid by God and receive abundant blessings from God,” Suki added.
Suki hopes this case becomes a good precedent for law enforcement for land mafia victims like Mbah Tupon. This is because many community members face limitations and lack of legal knowledge, making them vulnerable to becoming victims like Mbah Tupon.
“We hope Bantul becomes an example of truly good law enforcement, and that justice does not have to wait for something to go viral and people like Mbah Tupon can obtain justice,” she said.
Suki also assured that they would soon change the name on the certificate in the name of Indah Fatmawati to Mbah Tupon’s name. Considering the rightful owner of the certificate is Mbah Tupon.
“And hopefully for the SHM (certificate of ownership) in the name of Indah Fatmawati, the name can soon be changed to Mbah Tupon’s,” she said.
Bantul Regency Government to Oversee Name Change
Bantul Regent Abdul Halim Muslih assured that the regency government would oversee the process of changing the name on one land certificate still in the name of one of the convicted individuals, namely Indah Fatmawati. In addition, Halim urged the public not to easily trust others, especially regarding land matters.
“Yes, definitely (the regency government will help with the name change process for the certificate not yet in Mbah Tupon’s name), in line with our shared intention that this case must be resolved and Mbah Tupon regains his rights,” said Halim to reporters in Ngentak, Bangunjiwo, Kasihan, Bantul, on Thursday (9/4/2026).
On the other hand, Halim assessed the land mafia case experienced by Mbah Tupon as an extraordinary event. This is because Halim had visited Mbah Tupon’s residence in April 2025, and in April 2026, Mbah Tupon regained his certificates.
“Because without synergy, it would be impossible for Mbah Tupon’s problem to be resolved. This involves other private parties, banking, where Mbah Tupon’s certificates were even used as collateral and the name changed, it’s complicated,” he said.
Halim also advised the people of Bantul to be more careful and not easily trust others, especially regarding land administration. Moreover, never have malicious intentions towards anyone, especially those ignorant of the law, because in the end, perpetrators will face legal consequences.
“However, we urge the community that prevention must be prioritised, don’t just have the government provide an advocacy team and then act recklessly. Because the advocacy team only facilitates, communicates.”