The Meruya Land Brokers
TWO decades ago land brokers known locally as biong had a field day buying and selling property at will in Meruya, leaving confusion in ownership of what has since become high-value real estate and a conflict that threatens to evict 20,000 people from their homes. Investigation by Tempo found that Portanigra is behind the chaotic situation in Meruya. Is it true that the company is entitled to hundreds of hectares of land in the area?
July 3, 2007
ONE afternoon in the early 1980s, West Jakarta Mayor Haji Rukiat called Zainuddin, his assistant for social and political affairs and former subdistrict head of Kebon Jeruk, to his office. Inside were three men Zainuddin didn’t know. “Zain, what’s all this about?” asked Rukiat as he waved a document.
Zainuddin saw it was a bill of sale transferring ownership of land from a resident of South Meruya to Portanigra. In the space “seller�
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