Woman Demolishes State-Owned Official Residence Worth Rp 537 Million Using Excavator

Murnita Triwidyaning, also known as Nita, deliberately demolished an official residence belonging to the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) East Java I, a state asset located at Jalan Asemrowo Kali Number 23. Nita rented an excavator to destroy the building, an action that has now led her to court. According to the indictment, the state suffered losses amounting to hundreds of millions of rupiah due to Nita’s actions. The case began when Nita claimed to have purchased the property, which served as an official residence for DJBC, from a foundation for a transaction value of Rp 500 million. She then contacted a friend named Novi to inquire about renting an excavator to demolish the building. Despite her claim of ownership, the indictment states the house remained a state asset under the management of the DJBC East Java I Regional Office. The prosecutor, Hajita Cahyo Nugroho, clarified that the building is a state asset recorded in the State Property Management and Accounting System (SIMAK BMN) and is not the right of the defendant. On 27 August 2025, at around 8 p.m. local time, the rented excavator arrived at the location. Before the heavy machinery began work, Nita first broke the padlock on the fence with a hammer, then ordered the operator to start demolishing the structure. The operator followed Nita’s instructions, tearing down the fence and pushing over the walls until the building was destroyed, leaving only the garage intact. After the demolition was complete, Nita paid the operator a rental fee of Rp 7 million. Following the demolition, Nita contacted a witness, Yenny Dwijayanti, to come and see the condition of the house. At the same time, the head of the local neighbourhood association, Nanang Sudibyo, arrived at the scene and reprimanded Nita for carrying out the demolition without a permit and for disturbing the surrounding environment. Despite the reprimand, Nita remained adamant that the house was her property, prompting Nanang to contact a Customs and Excise official to report the incident. The prosecutor confirmed that the official ownership status of the house is recorded in the State Property Management and Accounting System, and therefore it was not the defendant’s property. As a result of the demolition, the state suffered a loss of approximately Rp 537 million. Nita has been charged under Article 410 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 20 letter b of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code. The trial is continuing to examine all evidence and witness testimonies presented by the prosecution.