Police investigate Cilandak case

Police investigate Cilandak case

JAKARTA: Police questioned two witnesses on Tuesday -- Hendro
Hartanto and Jeremy Simatupang -- in the case relating to the
violent eviction of the three houses on Jl. T.B. Simatupang,
South Jakarta.

The evictions were carried out on Thursday to make way for the
extension of the Cilandak Town Square mall, despite a legal
battle over the ownership of the land.

Hendro's father, Soenarno, had lived on the land for 37 years,
while Jemry is the younger brother of Luhut Simatupang, another
long-term resident of the land.

Soenarno, Handoyo and Luhut Simatupang were declared the
owners of the houses in a 1997 Supreme Court ruling. They told
the police that Herry Simanjuntak of insurance company PT
Asuransi Jiwasraya, Jafar Sagala of the City Housing Agency and
Amazon Sinaga also of the agency were responsible for last
Thursday's evictions.
The house owners said the evictions had no legal basis, but
according to the agency the three were evicted because the land
belongs to the insurance company. -- JP

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ANPAj..r..
Greater-Mall-Karawaci
Gas pipe explodes, injures two
JP/8/GREAT2

Gas pipe explodes, injures two

TANGERANG: A suspected gas pipe leak at Supermal's food court
in Karawaci, Tangerang, resulted in a huge explosion which
injured two people on Monday evening.

Johny, 41, and his two-year old son, Darel, of Jl. Gunung
Duren, Lippo Karawaci housing estate, suffered serious injuries
in the blast. Johny suffered lacerations on his head due to
shattered glass while Darel suffered injuries to his right hand.
They were taken to Siloam Gleneagles Hospital for treatment.

An eyewitness who works as a waiter in a restaurant in the
food court said that the blast came from a Japanese restaurant.

"All visitors panicked and rushed out as they thought it was a
bomb explosion," he said, adding that dozens of visitors were
wounded in the blast, but only two were treated in the hospital.

Security officers closed the mall doors and prevented anyone
from leaving or entering the site.

Jenny, the mall's marketing manager, said police were still
investigating the cause of the explosion which was believed to
come from a leak in a gas pipe.

This was the second accident in the mall at the same
restaurant. In September last year, dozens of visitors were also
injured in a similar blast resulting from a gas pipe leak. -- JP

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ANPAj..r..
Greater-KPUD-verification
2,069 to be deployed for verification
JP/8/G-KPU

2,069 to be deployed for verification

JAKARTA: The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) will
deploy 2,069 staff and volunteers for the second phase of the
verification process of 74 candidates for the Regional
Representatives Council (DPD).

KPUD member Muflizar said on Monday that the verification team
would ask the candidates' supporters, whose ID cards were copied
and submitted to KPUD.

"We will conduct a random check on the identities of 10
percent of the supporters submitted by each candidate. We hope to
complete the process in two weeks," he said.

Only 104 of 575 people managed to return the registration
forms as they were unable to gather the required 3,000 supporters
to support their candidacy. From the 104, only 74 candidates met
the requirements.

Last week, KPUD visited all candidates to check the
authenticity of the personal data they had submitted. Muflizar
said that some candidates had failed to show their degree and
diplomas certificates and would be rejected, but declined to give
names.

Candidates passing the final verification will be elected
directly by Jakartans in the general elections next April. Each
province will have four DPD representatives. -- JP