Police told to question developer

Police told to question developer

JAKARTA (JP): The State Minister of Public Housing and
Settlements Office has asked police to investigate directors and
commissioners of a housing development firm for alleged fraud.

A 200-member delegation representing thousands of customers of
Kota Tenjo housing complex in Bogor regency visited the office
for the third time Thursday, demanding the company help settle
their dispute with developer PT Prasetia Pertiwi.

The customers claim the company accepted their down payments,
which averaged Rp 3 million each, and never built the houses or
returned their money.

The minister's assistant, Panangian Simanungkalit, told the
customers that his office had summoned the management of the
developer, a subsidiary of BHS Group, but no response was
received.

"We regret that the developer has not taken the matter
seriously," Panangian said.

About 20 of the protesters accompanied by Panangian and
lawyers Leopold Daryono and Santi Dewi of the Jakarta Legal Aid
Institute visited the Jakarta Police Headquarters later on
Thursday.

They urged the police to investigate directors and
commissioners of the developer.

Lawyer Leopold said the customers had registered their
complaints with police on April 9.

Jakarta Police detectives' deputy chief Lt. Col. Bakat
Poerwanto said the police had questioned Djoko after receiving
the customers' report.

Bakat promised the customers that the investigation would
continue and that Djoko and other executives would be questioned
again.

The company, which planned to build thousands of modest houses
in the Kota Tenjo housing complex, was plunged into financial
trouble when the government closed the BHS Group's bank on Nov.
1, last year. (jun)