Surabaya Police Reveals Fraud Case Of Sale And Purchase Of Plots In The Medokan Ayu Area

SURABAYA - The Big City Resort Police (Polrestabes) team in Surabaya, East Java, uncovered cases of fraud and embezzlement in the case of buying and selling plots in the Medokan Ayu area.

Deputy Head of Criminal Investigation at the Surabaya Police, Kompol Edy Herwiyanto, explained that the investigation of this case was following up on police reports from seven victims who bought the land.

"We have identified a suspect with the initials ES, aged 58, who serves as a director at the housing development company PT Barokah Inti Utama," he told reporters in Surabaya, quoted by Antara, Monday, November 22.

Based on the police investigation, suspect ES claimed the land area of 56,000 square meters in the Medokan Ayu area of Surabaya as his property.

The land has been used as a plot "site plan" since 2014 which in 2015 was offered to as many as 223 customers or consumers.

There are various offers per plot, ranging from Rp. 90 million to Rp. 300 million.

"The land that has been sold to as many as 223 consumers turns out to be someone else's," said Kompol Edy.

The police estimated the losses suffered by 223 consumers worth Rp. 22.3 billion.

"Indeed, not all victims reported. Meanwhile, there were still seven victims who reported," he said.

Of the seven victims who reported the total loss was recorded at Rp. 1.7 billion. Police are still developing an investigation.

Meanwhile, the suspect is charged with Articles 378 and 372 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on Fraud and/or Embezzlement with a maximum penalty of four years in prison.

"We are developing whether the suspect ES can be charged with Articles 3 and 4 of Law Number 8 of 2010 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of Money Laundering or ML with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison," he said.