Sentul developer upset over burning of buildings

Sentul developer upset over burning of buildings

JAKARTA (JP): The project manager of Rainbow Hills, an exclusive housing estate and golf course at Pasir Karet village in Sentul, Bogor, expressed concern over the burning of two of its buildings by unidentified men, allegedly working for PT FMP.

Herry Sugandi alleges that the men from PT FMP, another housing estate located near Rainbow Hills, burned the two buildings on Feb. 18.

One of the building was built by his company as a telephone exchange station.

"We have spent approximately Rp 150 million building the telephone exchange station and were planning to give it to the Bogor chapter of the state-owned telecommunications company PT Telkom as soon as its construction was completed," he said.

Herry said the building was near completion when the mystery men burned it on Saturday.

Also at the location, The Jakarta Post saw that there were two burned cars.

According to some villagers, who asked not to be identified, they saw some "black" people pouring gasoline on the two buildings then setting them alight.

"Some of the men even had time to watch the buildings burn before leaving the scene in two cars," he said.

Kompas daily reported yesterday that the burning of the buildings and the vehicles was as a result of a land dispute between Rainbow Hills and PT FMP.

Herry refused to confirm that the incident was caused by a land dispute.

"I could call it a land dispute if there was a disputed plot of land but in this matter there is no such plot. The people from PT FMP usually claim a particular plot of land by putting up some signs on our property but when we pull the signs out they erect them in a different place," he said.

Herry said there is no definite area which is being disputed.

He said Rainbow Hills is located on 400 hectares of land and when completed there will be approximately 800 luxury houses as well as a golf course.

Herry said land problems have occurred since early this month, but until now none of PT FMP's people have come to him to discuss the land border problem.

He said so far none of his workers have been harassed by the mystery men, but, he added, the presence of the "black men" has created unrest among the villagers.

Haji Salim, one of the village's respected figures told Kompas that since the conflict broke out there are many people carrying weapons around the village.

"People are scared to go out of their houses now," Haji Salim said.

Chief Sergeant Endang of the Citeurep police precinct said the burning of the buildings and cars is being investigated by the precinct but he could not give details on the progress of the investigation.

"There were no arrests made during the incident," he said.

Officials of Rainbow Hills' Jakarta office refused to comment on the incident. (mas)