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Ahok feels betrayed by PT Agung Podomoro Land
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Investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) cordon off the entrance to a room at the City Council after seizing documents and other pieces of evidence on Friday. ( tribunnews.com/Amriyono)
J
akarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has said he feels betrayed by PT Agung Podomoro Land (APLN) after the company allegedly bribed a councillor to interfere in the City Council’s decision on a draft bylaw regarding zoning for coastal areas and small islands.
If the bill becomes a bylaw, it will act as a legal basis for the reclamation project in Jakarta.
The company agreed to hand over 15 percent of the reclaimed land to be developed by the city administration as stipulated in the draft bylaw. However, the company apparently lobbied the council to cut the requirement to 5 percent.
“If the report is true, it is a betrayal. With me, they agree to one thing. But then they still carry out negotiations [with city councillors],” Ahok said.
On Thursday, KPK investigators arrested city councillor Mohamad Sanusi of the Gerindra Party and another individual identified as Geri at a shopping mall in South Jakarta. The anti-graft body seized Rp 1.14 billion (US$86,717) from two transactions. The first transaction took place on March 28 and Sanusi allegedly received Rp 1 billion. During Thursday’s transaction, he allegedly received Rp 140 million.
During the operation, Sanusi and Geri allegedly accepted money from Trinanda Prihantoro, an employee of PT APLN, whose CEO Ariesman Widjaja surrendered to the KPK on Friday evening after being named a corruption suspect.
The City Council has three times delayed approval of the draft bylaw. Ahok suspected that the delays correlated with negotiations between certain parties on the City Council about the 15 percent requirement.
Ahok said he would never agree to revise down the requirement. “I have told the city secretary that I will insist that the figure is 15 percent. It is based on advice from experts,” he added. (bbn)
