Higher land compensation sought
TANGERANG: Some 60 families refused to leave their homes in Mekarsari and Selapanjang subdistricts to make way for the construction of a 4.5-kilometer-long new road connecting Tangerang and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, despite frequent intimidation by municipal administration officials.
They said they would leave if the administration made them reasonable compensation payments. They asked for Rp 300,000 per square meter, or double the Rp 150,000 offered by the administration.
"The administration cannot force us out of our homes because this land belongs to us," a resident named Ubay said on Wednesday.
Separately, an official at the municipal administration said that the market value of the land was only Rp 60,000 per square meter.
"We have acquired 60 percent of the total eight hectares of land needed for the 20-meter-wide construction, with compensation of Rp 150,000 per square meter on average," he said.
He admitted that most of the land already acquired belonged to the state irrigation office.--JP
;JP;DMR; ANPAj..r.. Focus-crime-passenger Robber killed by angry mob JP/6/GREAT 2
Robber killed by angry mob
JAKARTA: An angry crowd killed a man who tried to rob a passenger on a public bus in East Jakarta on Tuesday.
Police reports said that the suspect, named Ratno Kelana, 23 threatened a passenger, 42, with a machete, demanded his wristwatch and Rp 300,000 cash. But he resisted and cried for help and the bus stopped. The suspect was later beaten to death by locals on Jl. Haji Caki, Ciracas, East Jakarta.
Separately, on a public minivan traveling along Jl. Raya Bogor, also in Ciracas, East Jakarta, two suspects failed to rob Nuri, 22 as the victim screamed and attracted the attention of a crowd of people who gather round. One of the suspects, named Alex, was arrested, while the other managed to escape.--JP
;JP;EMF; ANPAj..r.. Focus-Bogor-crime 40 swindled in mushroom plantation JP/6/BOGOR3
40 swindled in mushroom plantation
BOGOR: A group of 40 people have lodged a complaint with Bogor police against executives of agribusiness company PT Sinarkiwi Mustika Indonesia (SMI) for allegedly swindling investments.
The group, led by Raindy Intan Widjaja, claimed the group lost a total of Rp 2.3 billion -- more than Rp 50 million each, after investing in the company's mushroom plantations.
The company's executives have fled and are still at large.
The alleged fraud began when the individuals read an advertisement boasting that investors would receive a 10 percent profit on any invested money, payable each month, Antara reported.
Most of the people received profits in the first and second month only.
Meetings with the company's executives always ended with promises to share the profits. -JP