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City will continue reclamation project despite arrests
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City councilor Mohamd Sanusi, wearing orange jacket, is escorted by officers of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) after being interrogated on Friday. He was arrested on Thursday. (kompas.com/Kristianto Purnomo)
J
akarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has said his administration will not revoke development permits for PT Agung Podomoro Land (APLN) after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named its president director, Ariesman Widjaja, a suspect, following the arrest of a city councilor.
The reclamation project in Jakarta Bay will go ahead. Ahok argued that the reclamation project was based on Presidential Decree No. 52/1995 on the Reclamation of the Jakarta’s northern coastal Areas. “We still refer to a presidential decree and already passed bylaws,” the governor said as reported by kompas.com on Saturday.
Pluit City is a planned 160-hectare reclamation project to be developed by PT Muara Wisesa Samudra, an affiliate company of PT APLN.The reclamation permit for G Island (Pluit City) was issued on Dec. 23, 2014, based on Jakarta Gubernatorial Decree No. 2238.
The draft bylaw on the zoning of coastal areas and small islands, which is being deliberated in the Jakarta City Council, would be another legal basis for the development of the project.
“Because the draft bylaw has not been approved, it [PT APLN] cannot obtain the building construction permit [IMB],” said Ahok.
On Thursday, KPK investigators arrested Jakarta city councilor Mohamad Sanusi of the Gerindra Party and another individual identified as Geri at a shopping mall in South Jakarta.
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.
Ahok claimed the arrest of Sanusi, who is a bother of city council deputy speaker Muhammad Taufik, explained the delay in the draft bylaw approval. “I was curious why the approval was delayed. It seems there was blackmail,” he added.
Meanwhile, KPK investigators raided several offices at the City Council on Friday and Saturday, including the offices of Sanusi and city council speaker Prasetio Edi Marsudi and Taufik. (bbn)
