Ex-soldiers sued by military chief

BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: Chief of the Antasari Military Resort Command overseeing South Kalimantan province Col. Sudarmaidy has sued some 310 retired officers living in the Army's housing complex on Jl. Gatot Subroto here, calling the retired officers ineligible to continue occupying the military's houses, a report said.

Capt. Sularso and Maj. Eko Sujarwo, members of the chief's team of defense lawyers, said on Tuesday that the lawsuit, filed with the local district court, was submitted because the retired officers had no right to claim the houses belonged to them.

"Based on the (Army's internal) rulings, the right to occupy an official residence ends if a serviceman is dishonorably discharged, retires or dies," Eko said.

Earlier, the retired soldiers filed a lawsuit with the same court last week, demanding Sudarmaidy drop his suit, which ordered the retired officers to vacate the houses they were now living in because two-thirds of active servicemen in the city had been forced to rent houses at their own expense due to limited housing facilities.

Eko said the retired officers would face a Rp 83.69 billion fine, including Rp 210 million for services provided and Rp 33.48 billion for rent over their 15-year occupancy, plus another Rp 50 billion fine for immaterial losses. --JP