M

onths of dispute between Petitenget Temple and a local man over a plot of land is getting worse as the latter failed to show up in a negotiation with the temple's officers Monday.

The temple officers, supported by villagers of Kerobokan, have demanded that Irwandi Ibrahim and his family vacate their house on a 500-square-meter plot at Jalan Klecung, Umalas, Kerobokan Kelod.

They maintained that Irwandi's house stands in the temple's tract set aside for religious use.

Kerobokan village head A.A. Kompiang Suteja said that the temple had bought the land from Bayu Suka Chandra, Ibrahim's colleague, on Feb. 2006 and had obtained a legal certificate for the land.

"We are not aware if there were any problems between Irwandi and Bayu. The thing is that we have obtained a legal certificate for the land under the name of Bayu.

"We later processed the certificate, and now it is under the name of Petitenget Temple."

As Irwandi has refused to leave the house, the temple has filed a report to the police to settle the case.

Irwandi, meanwhile, challenged by filing a lawsuit to the Denpasar District Court against the temple, maintaining that he was still entitled to the land.

On Jan. 20, the court ruled that the defendant had won the case. The plaintiff later filed an appeal to the court, still seeking to prove his ownership.

On the same day, several villagers marched to Irwandi's house and demanded he surrender the property, but Irwandi insisted that he would wait for the appeal ruling.

"He asked us to give him more time, and we agreed to meet today at the temple to discuss this problem, but he didn't come," Suteja said.

"If he agreed to leave the house and revoke his lawsuit at the court, we would also revoke our report at the police.

"But he didn't give us any notification, so we have decided to proceed with the case and ask the police to handle this."

The temple officers and villagers set the deadline for Irwandi to leave the house before Monday.

Irwandi could not be reached for comments.

His American wife, Patricia Kincaid, had earlier reported to the US Consulate General in Denpasar, saying that the family felt threatened by the villagers, who had allegedly acted violently.

Irwandi, who was interviewed by Radar Bali daily recently, claimed he had been tricked by Bayu.

Irwandi, who needed funds for his bar venture, borrowed Rp. 200 million (US$20,000) from Bayu in 2005.

The certificate of the land was given to Bayu as collateral for the loan. Ibrahim said that Bayu sold the land to the temple without his knowledge.