Prosecutors set to unravel corruption in airport project

Prosecutors set to unravel corruption in airport project

TANGERANG (JP): The prosecutors office here appears to be on
the verge of uncovering alleged corruption in the 1981
acquisition of 115 hectares of land for the development of
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

State prosecutors have arrested a land broker, Surya Miharja,
on charges of collaborating with allegedly corrupt officials and
embezzling Rp 44 billion (US$2.8 million) in state money.

Suhaemi, head of the special crimes department in the
Tangerang Prosecutors Office, said recently that he planned to
summon several former senior officials for questioning about the
scam.

The retired officials were formerly members of a government
committee in charge of handling the acquisition of the land for
the airport.

He declined to name names but it is understood they include
former Tangerang regent Tadjus Sobirin, former Batuceper district
chief Marwata and former Tangerang land affairs office head
Hanafiah.

The scandal surfaced when the airport complex was remeasured
several years ago and officials found that it was only 95
hectares even though the central government had paid for the
acquisition of 115 hectares.

A subsequent investigation found that three hectares were
unaccounted for, four hectares were located outside the area
designated for the project and the remaining 13 hectares had been
developed into a housing complex.

Suhaemi said Surya reportedly gave fake land ownership
documents to the central government to acquire the 13 hectare of
land and the owner sold it to a property developer.

The prosecutors office is determined to investigate the rest
of the missing plots, he said. (41/pan)