Mayoralty awaits pretrial verdict

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta mayoralty condemned the Jakarta State Administrative Court on Thursday for the Court's failure to immediately issue its July verdict, which declared that the mayoralty had no legal grounds to seal off the multistory Timor and Humpuss buildings on Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur, Central Jakarta.

"Does the court purposely delay issuing its pretrial verdict, so that the company can benefit from such a prolonged unsettled case?" Central Jakarta Mayor Andi Subur Abdullah told reporters at his office on Thursday.

Andi admitted that his office had neglected the regulation, which required it issue three different letters of notification before it could clear the buildings.

"The sealing of the buildings is not the main issue here. The problem is that the buildings' management had violated the 1995 presidential decree," he said.

The Humpuss and Timor buildings on Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur were sealed off on March 26 for violating Presidential Decree No. 25/1995 on the development of the Medan Merdeka area. The decree prohibits private companies from building offices in the area, including along Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur.

The area, designed as a buffer zone for Medan Merdeka Square, is where the National Monument (Monas) stands.

Andi said the pretrial verdict was needed to file an appeal to the Jakarta State Administrative High Court.

He said his office was considering hiring professional lawyers to assist the Central Jakarta administration with the case.

"I have discussed this matter with Governor Sutiyoso, who later mentioned several names, including that of noted lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution." (01)