Mayor dismisses lawsuit as irrational

Mayor dismisses lawsuit as irrational

JAKARTA (JP): South Jakarta Mayor Pardjoko has said through a
spokesman that the law suit filed against him by a trader over
land appropriation in Srengseng Sawah, South Jakarta, was
irrational.

Mayoralty spokesman Djabintang Siboro questioned how the
trader, Henry M. Ali, determined the price of the land.

"How can the price he proposed in 1990 be the same as the
current price," Djabintang told The Jakarta Post on Monday. He
was referring to the price of appropriated land for a toll road
project in South Jakarta which is underway.

Henry is suing the Jakarta governor, the director general of
highways of the Ministry of Public Works and the South Jakarta
mayor for what he claims is the illegal appropriation of 2,000
square meters of land belonging to him.

He is suing the defendants for Rp 1.3 billion (US$553,191): Rp
300 million for the land's value and Rp 1 billion for immaterial
damages.

The trial will continue today after being adjourned last week
because the defendants' lawyers were absent.

Djabintang said Henry had a right to sue the government. "But
we also have a right to defend ourself," he added.

He questioned why Henry's lawyers were using a new regulation
on land appropriation -- one which is based on a presidential
decree -- introduced after the case occurred in 1990, when the
regulation was still under a ministerial decree.

Henry filed the same suit in 1990 but the South Jakarta
District Court rejected it because his writ did not name the
director general of highways.

Henry rejected the government's Rp 54 million compensation for
his land, arguing he had been informed by the mayoralty that his
land was in a designated residential zone before he bought it.

The land has been acquired by the government for the Pasar
Minggu - Depok road project.

Henry, who is reported to have been forcibly moved three times
to make way for government projects, is now living in Srengseng.
(jun)