New police HQ project start uncertain

JAKARTA (JP): City Police Headquarters' activities will move to the former office of traffic affairs when a developer starts rebuilding on the grounds, National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo said.

The rebuilding plans of private developer PT Mandala Pratama Permai, are still being processed at the Ministry of Finance, the Police Chief said yesterday.

"The plans are definite, we only need a permit from the Ministry of Finance," Dibyo said.

A permit from the ministry is needed for a barter agreement involving state assets. The agreement was signed last year with PT Mandala Pratama, owned by Hutomo Mandala Putra, the President's youngest son.

Earlier the businessman, known as Tommy, said the plans have been approved by the State Secretariat and the Ministry of Defense. The police are part of the Armed Forces.

Tommy was quoted by Harian Ekonomi Neraca as saying the Ministry of Defense and Security and the Ministry of Finance had yet to issue a permit for the Rp 800 billion project.

The developer also had to request permits from the city's spatial plans and building supervision agencies.

Earlier police sources said the City Police would move to the Granadha building across the road. But City Police Chief Maj.Gen. Hamami Nata said yesterday this was not true, and he would move wherever he was ordered to.

Under the barter agreement PT Mandala Pratama will get 6.5 hectares of the 14.5-hectare plot of the current headquarters.

Commercial facilities will be built on this section and the developer will build a new multi-story headquarters on the remaining eight-hectare plot facing Jl. Gatot Subroto.

Yesterday sources at PT Mandala Pratama were not available for comment. (jun/04)