No one is above the law: ABRI commander
JAKARTA (JP): Commander of the Armed Forces (ABRI) Gen. Feisal Tanjung emphasized yesterday that no one is immune to the law, including former Air Force Chief of Staff Marshall (ret.) Mohamad Saleh Basarah Suradiningrat, who is implicated in the fraudulent acquisition of plots in South Jakarta's prime business district.
"When it comes to law everyone is the same regardless of his or her formal position in the community," Feisal said before a cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha yesterday.
Feisal was commenting on a recent remark made by the deputy to the National Police Chief for Operational Affairs, Maj. Gen. Koesparmono Irsan, who stated that many land disputes in the city are difficult to solve due to the involvement of high-ranking military and civilian officials.
The case involving the former Air Force Chief began in 1978 when his company, PT Teguh Timbul, acquired licenses to the plots located on Kav. 26 and 27 at Jl. Jendral Sudirman, South Jakarta.
Due to financial difficulties, until 1988, PT Teguh Timbul had only appropriated about half of the total 8,110 square meters on the plots.
The company with all its assets was then bought by PT Ircobumi Grahamaju for Rp 850 million (US$390,500), which then proceeded to appropriate all the land and acquired land certificates as well as land use and building permits for the plots.
PT Ircobumi then built a 21-story building where Bank Central Dagang (BCD) is located. Another plot of land was purchased by Bank Bali.
The dispute surfaced when one of the three original owners of PT Teguh Timbul, Sukirman Hartomartono, claimed he had not been informed by the other two co-owners, Saleh and G.F. Mambu, on the sale of the company to PT Ircobumi.
Sukirman accused his former partners of embezzling and the president of PT Ircobumi, Irwan Sutisna, of falsifying documents so as to illegally appropriate the plots on Jl. Jendral Sudirman.
Initially Sukirman won the case when presented at the South Jakarta District Court in October 1991. But the ruling was then over-ruled by the Jakarta High Court in February 1993.
The suit is currently pending after Sukirman appealed to the Supreme Court. A ruling is expected in the very near future.
Meanwhile the owner of the plots, Ilyas Ya'cub, through his lawyer has also stated that the land was illegally occupied by PT Ircobumi using forged ownership certificates.
Leniency
Allegations that law enforcers give special treatment to high- ranking officials when they break the law came to the surface when National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman Astrosemitro revealed that Saleh did not have to subject himself to questioning at police headquarters.
This unusual situation arose because Saleh, who is also former ambassador to the United Kingdom, had already been summoned and questioned by Air Force Chief of Staff Marshall Rilo Pambudi.
However when asked by reporters yesterday, Feisal reiterated that the police should show no leniency or give special privileges.
This includes the investigation involving the retired air marshal, he said, without mentioning Saleh by name.
It is the latest in a rash of investigations involving ex- officials that seem to confirm the long-standing complaints of corruption by bureaucrats trying to supplement their meager incomes. (mds)