Mayor Wahidin implicated in airport graft case

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 06/16/2006 2:58 PM  |  Jakarta

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

City police will summon Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim as a witness over alleged embezzlement in the project to expand Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Four officials involved in the project have been detained.

""We will summon Wahidin as the chairman of the 'Team of Nine',"" Sr. Comr. Sigit Sudarmanto, the city police's director of general crime, said Thursday.

The team was formed in late 2002 by former mayor M. Thamrin to acquire land for the expansion project.

The team consisted of officials, including the chiefs of subdistricts affected by the project.

Selapajang subdistrict chief Achmad Safe'i and Benda subdistrict chief Nawawi were detained Friday after questioning.

Another team member, Aula J from the Tangerang agriculture agency, and Hamka from the land agency were questioned and detained later on Tuesday.

Land acquisition for the expansion project began in December 2002 with airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II offering Rp 150,000 per square meter for residential property and Rp 100,000 per sq m for rice fields.

The state-owned company acquired a total of 80 hectares of land in both Selapajang and Benda and gave the compensation money to the Team of Nine, to be distributed at a later date to land owners.

However, members of the team then allegedly gave incorrect information about the status of about 40 percent of the total cleared land, changing rice fields to village land.

The manipulation caused Rp 2.537 billion in losses to the state budget.

Angkasa Pura II corporate secretary Sudaryanto said the airport would be extended from the current 1,800 to 2,700 ha.

""But none of our officials were involved in the embezzlement. As a property buyer, the company fulfilled its obligations when it paid the land owners,"" he said.

Wahidin said he had no knowledge of the payment process because the subdistrict chiefs were in charge of land acquisition.

""Administration policy on the implementation of the land acquisition project was made by my predecessor,"" he said.

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