Officers 'occupy' Bank Swansarindo

At least 1,000 military and police officers were in a tense standoff at a Central Jakarta bank on Friday, which saw at least one person severely beaten in a dispute involving a home loan program.

A total of 1,114 members of the Armed Forces and Police feel they were defrauded by housing developer PT Mayanggi through a program which was supposed to provide them with homes in Jatiasih and Jatiluhur in Bekasi, worth over Rp 5 billion, due to the fact that construction on the houses had not yet begun.

The victims arrived at the Bank Swansarindo Internasional building on Jl. Salemba Raya 55, Central Jakarta, demanding the company to return their money as PT Mayanggi.

The officers, arriving en masse in a convoy of military vehicles, frightened several passersby.

Later, the victims could not hide their emotion when they spotted PT Mayanggi director, Thamrin, a retired major general, (photo above) as he arrived by car at the office.

They lost all control minutes later when one of Thamrin's three bodyguards, identified as Bram Bani, mocked them by saying "Oh... these are the homeless military guys."

They responded by attacking and beating Bram and proceeded to rip his clothing off, while Thamrin was secured by two members of the Senen police department after he was rushed to the upper floor of the building.

"We just want our money back," said Agus Budi, an Army officer.

PT Mayanggi had offered the housing loan for its two housing projects in Jatiasih and Jatiluhur. Each military member paid a down payment of Rp 2.5 million, and in the second phase last May, they paid Rp 4 million.

As of 5:45 p.m. Friday, the military men were still holding out at the building, waiting for Thamrin's promise to return their money.

A bank employee said Thamrin could return only Rp 1.4 billion, as he was still waiting for the money from the investors who plan to buy the land. -- Antara