Surabaya Woman Demolishes Official Residence with Excavator, State Losses Reach Rp 537 Million
Murnita Triwidyaning has been put on trial for demolishing an official residence belonging to the East Java I Regional Office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) on Jalan Asemrowo Kali, Surabaya. The defendant’s reckless act of tearing down the state building using an excavator caused losses exceeding Rp 500 million.
The indictment reading and witness examination hearing was held at the Surabaya District Court. In the indictment, public prosecutor Hajita Cahyo Nugroho stated that the building destroyed by the defendant was a legitimate state asset officially recorded in the state inventory information system. The defendant is said to have caused state losses of up to Rp 537 million.
‘The building, which is an official residence at Jln Asemrowo Kali No 23, Asemrowo Village, Asemrowo District, Surabaya City, is a state asset under the auspices of the East Java I DJBC Regional Office as recorded in the State House Identity Card with UAKPB code: 015051000410826000KD under the name UAKPB: KANWIL DJBC JAWA TIMUR I in accordance with SIMAK BMN,’ stated Public Prosecutor Hajita Cahyo Nugroho.
‘As a result of the defendant’s actions, losses of approximately Rp 537,362,790 were incurred,’ added the prosecutor from the Surabaya District Attorney’s Office.
Due to these losses, the prosecutor charged Murnita under Article 410 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 20 letter b of Law No. 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, regarding the intentional destruction of a building or structure belonging to another person. She was also charged under Article 406 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code concerning vandalism.
The defendant is alleged to have deliberately rented an excavator unit for Rp 7 million to level the building on a Sunday evening. Murnita damaged the fence padlock using a hammer and ordered the excavator operator, who is now a fugitive, to push the walls of the house until they collapsed, leaving only the garage section standing.