Main suspect in land scam still free

Main suspect in land scam still free

BEKASI (JP): The Bekasi Prosecutor's Office has not as yet
arrested a former subdistrict head believed to be the main
suspect in a notorious land scam.

"Ompin Sopiandi, former head of Muara Gembong subdistrict, has
now become the main suspect in the scam. But we don't need to
arrest him now because he is cooperative enough during the
questioning sessions," the head of Bekasi Prosecutor's Office,
Chaeruman Harahap told reporters over the weekend.

Ompin is accused of illegally selling state land in Muara
Gembong, where local farmers had fish ponds, to a private
company.

The case was made public after the farmers went to the Bekasi
City Council in April, reporting that the subdistrict head had
sold the land.

The disgruntled farmers also said that they were given between
Rp 150 and Rp 250 in compensation for each square meter of land
and told to give up the fish ponds.

Bekasi Regent Mochamad Djamhari had earlier defended Ompin,
saying that the farmers' report was false. The regent said he had
not issued a single permit allowing any firm to carry out land
clearance in Muara Gembong.

The special team set to investigate the scam has questioned
the suspect twice and is making list of the suspect's wealth,
Chaeruman said. "If his wealth proves to be obtained from the
land scam, his wealth will be confiscated."

Chaeruman refused to reveal the worth of the suspect's wealth,
saying that his office had not yet completed the details.
Demoted after the case was made public, Ompin is now working
at the Bekasi Regency Secretariat Office. (12/sur)