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