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)