Koja people to go to Supreme Court

Koja people to go to Supreme Court

JAKARTA (JP): Koja Utara residents plan to take their case
over the appropriation of the state-owned land they are occupying
to the Supreme Court after the Jakarta Administration Court said
it had no authority to decide their fate, an executive of the
Legal Aid Institute (LBH) said yesterday.

"We will bring the case to the Supreme Court within two
weeks," said Waskito Adiribowo, LBH's division chief for land
affairs.

According to Waskito, two Koja Utara residents, Noor Alam Baso
and Yansen Ismail, have urged the North Jakarta Mayor to revoke
his decree on the amount of compensation.

The mayor determined compensation to be no more than Rp
165,000 (US$75) a square meter.

The residents rejected the amount as too low.

Through the LBH they brought the case to the Administrative
Court, however, the court rejected the case on Friday, Waskito
said.

"In the second decision the Administrative Court suggested
that the residents bring the case to the Supreme Court. This is
an interesting decision because usually such a decision is be
made without any reservation," said Waskito.

The dispute arose after state-owned company PT Pelindo II
announced last year it would appropriate 90 hectares of land
which was initially inhabited by more than 9,000 families. More
than 1,500 families remain on the land. The company plans to
build a cargo terminal in a joint-venture with PT Humpuss, the
widely diversified business group owned by Hutomo Mandala Putra.

After a series of negotiations ended in deadlock, North
Jakarta Mayor Suprawito decreed that compensation would be Rp
100,000 to Rp 165,000 a square meter. Koja residents, however,
initially insisted that compensation be set at Rp 2.275 million
per square meter. (01)