Officers 'occupy' Bank Swansarindo

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