Tension heightens at the Kemayoran fairground
Tension heightens at the Kemayoran fairground
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Tycoon Siti Hartati Murdaya demanded on Tuesday that her former
associate Edward Soeryadjaya peacefully hand over management of
the Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, or face a
possibly violent eviction.
Her statement came just a day after Edward and his lawyers
reported Hartati to police for forgery, deepening the dispute
over the management of the fairground, the venue of the annual
Jakarta Fair.
Hartati said the law was on her side. "Two district courts
have issued rulings in favor of my company and they will soon
execute an eviction order against Edward," she told a press
conference.
The eviction date is set for Thursday this week.
The Central Jakarta and North Jakarta District Courts had
coordinated with the City Police, the Army and its Special Forces
unit (Kopassus), as well as the city's public order agency to
secure the eviction, she said.
"I know that pak Edward has installed thugs to guard the
ground and I don't want to see them go up against thousands of
security personnel."
Edward would be responsible if the eviction turned violent,
she said.
The conflict began when Hartati accused Edward of not giving
her substantial shares in the company, after her Mauritius-based
investment vehicle -- Jerome International Limited (JIL) --
bailed the Jakarta International Trade Fair (JITF) out when it
was mired in financial problems.
The promised share would have given Hartati's PT Central Citra
Murdaya 52.5 percent shares in JITF. Edward asked for debt
restructuring instead.
Edward's company currently manages the fairgrounds, comprising
office buildings and 251,000-square-meters of land in Kemayoran.
On Dec. 12, a panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District
Court awarded Edward and JITF chief commisioner, Guruh
Soekarnoputra (the younger brother of President Megawati
Sukarnoputri) authority over the fairground and froze Hartati's
share.
This week, Edward reported Hartati to police for forgery,
alleging she had tampered with dates on a debt transfer document.
Hartati said she would sue Edward for defamation.
Edward on Tuesday denied accusations he sent thugs to guard
the fairground. "We won't resort to violence to defend our
claims," he told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview.
He also denied a political party-affiliated militia group had
been present near the fairground to stand guard as reported
earlier.
Despite the legal hubbub, Edward insisted he would launch his
concept for 2004 Jakarta Fair on the day of the eviction as
scheduled.
"Vice President Hamzah Haz has given his assurance that he
will be present in the ceremony and there is no change in that
planned schedule," he said.