Ex-soldiers sued by military chief

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