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