Land scam suspects' property confiscated

Land scam suspects' property confiscated

BEKASI, West Java (JP): The Bekasi Prosecutors Office has confirmed the confiscation of property belonging to the main suspects in an 800-hectare land scam.

Chairuman Harahap, the prosecutors' office chief, said yesterday that his office had seized two buildings, two cars and six motorbikes from two suspects, identified only as "OS" and "Shl".

One of the houses seized stands on a 2,000-sq.-meter block of land in Muara Gembong, while the other stands on a 300-sq.-meter plot in the Sukatani subdistrict. The houses belong to OS.

"We allege that the suspects bought the land and the vehicles with the money they obtained from the (land) scam," Chairuman said.

OS and Shl are accused of selling state land in Muara Gembong, Bekasi, to a private company. Local farmers, who had fish- breeding ponds on the 800-hectares of land, reported the sale to the Bekasi regency legislative council in April.

Residents said they had been paid between Rp 150 and Rp 250 in compensation for each sq. meter of land sold.

According to Chairuman, the suspects falsified the farmers' written acknowledgement of the sale of the land.

While the alleged land swindle has not yet to be ruled on by a court, private developers have already erected fences on the land.

One 200-ha plot of the land in question is now owned by PT Bola Cahaya Biru and another 600-ha area is owned by PT Banjar Taru Pala Chandratama Gryaland. (12)