Officials implicated in land sell-off

TANGERANG (JP): The local prosecutor's office is investigating the alleged roles of senior officials in the illegal sale of almost 974 hectares of state land in the Legok and Serpong subdistricts.

Funds totaling about Rp 23 billion (US$7.19 million) from the sell-off may have been used by officials in charge of land issues for their own benefit, the head of the office's intelligence section, Pudji Basuki Setijono, said yesterday.

"We'll probe this case thoroughly," he said, adding that at least 14 government employees from related offices have been questioned.

The property belonged to PT Perkebunan Karet Nasional, a state-owned rubber plantation company, which had 185.53 hectares of land in Legok and 788.44 hectares in Serpong, Pudji said.

The land has been sold to various parties since 1982 at a price of between Rp 616 and Rp 2,000 per square meter, he said.

Both areas have been converted from rubber plantations to real estates with sophisticated facilities, including a golf course.

The prosecutor's office became aware of the sell-off after a man, identified as Tan Siu Ek, came to the office claiming that his great-grandparent's land was illegally occupied by another party. (41/bsr)