Threatened With Being Sued By Pontjo Sutowo About The Sultan Hotel, Bahlil: It's OK

Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has raised his voice regarding the threat of a lawsuit that Pontjo Sutowo will file against him regarding the problem of managing the Sultan Hotel. He admitted that he had no problem with being sued.

"It's okay (of being sued). Good. I really like that being sued," he said when met in the Plataran City Forest, Jakarta, Wednesday, October 25.

Bahlil admitted that he actually had a good relationship with Panjto Sutowo. Even so, Bahlil said he did not want to mix personal affairs with the government.

"Pak Ponjto is my senior. The former chairman of Hipmi, I am also a former chairman. But I think it's a personal relationship, brother and sister. But we can't interfere with government relations," he explained.

Will Revoke Business Permit

Previously, Bahlil said the business license of Pontjo Sutowo's PT Indobuildco related to the management of the Sultan Hotel had been frozen since two weeks ago.

Bahlil explained that the suspension of business licenses had been carried out since two weeks ago, because the validity period of PT Indobuildco's building rights (HGB) was expired on land located in Block 15 of the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) area.

"It was two weeks ago frozen," Bahlil told the media crew in Jakarta, Friday, October 20.

Therefore, Bahlil asked the Indobuildco management to immediately vacate the Sultan Hotel because of the end of the Building Use Rights (HGB) period.

Currently, his party will still wait for Pontjo Sutowo to stop his business operations.

Bahlil emphasized that if the Indobuildco management still does not stop its operations, then it does not hesitate to permanently revoke PT Indobuildco's business license.

"We will consider (revocation of business license). Once again I say entrepreneurs cannot regulate the state, but the state must not be arbitrary with entrepreneurs," he said.