Rukmana's claim on land denied

Rukmana's claim on land denied

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta State Administrative Court has
turned down the lawsuit filed by a private firm against the state
minister of agrarian affairs over a 214-hectare plot in
Rancamaya, Bogor, West Java.

Judge Lintong A. Siahaan said at Monday's hearing that Ahmad
Hendra Kowara and Indra Rukmana had no legal right to claim the
land.

"Thus the letter issued by the State Minister of Agrarian
Affairs Office/National Land Agency on July 15, 1995, which
granted PT Surya Mas Duta Makmur a permit to use the 2,517
hectares of land in Rancamaya, is legal," the judge said.

Kowara and Rukmana said they disagree and maintain that the
land is theirs.

Kowara and Rukmana said in the lawsuit that they obtained the
plot from the owner, Toebagoes Tjetjep Adiredja, on July 31,
1980. They said they paid Rp 1.8 billion for a surat kuasa, which
is a letter of authorization that states that they own the land
documents.

According to judge Lintong, possession of the documents does
not mean possession of the land.

The plaintiffs, Lintong said, should have gone to the district
court to get legal ownership of the land before filing a lawsuit
at the State Administrative Court.

Boediman Paningkas, the lawyer for the plaintiffs, said he
would appeal. (26)