Tangerang District Attorney Examines 300 Witnesses In PTSL Extortion Cases

TANGERANG - The District Attorney's Office (Kejari) of Tangerang Regency, Banten has summoned and examined as many as 300 witnesses related to cases of illegal levies (extortion) in the complete systematic land registration program (PTSL) in the area.

"An investigation is currently being carried out. Hundreds of witnesses consisting of applicants for land certificates, committees and village officials are also being questioned," said Tangerang Regency Kajari Nova Elida Saragih in a written statement reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 2.

He said that the case of suspected illegal levies on PTSL is currently still in the stage of deepening documents and witness statements.

"Investigators are still developing from the information and information obtained," he said.

Nova said that the disclosure of this case began with a public report of the existence of levies activities outside the fees officially regulated by the state in the amount of Rp. 150,000 by the applicant.

"The official fees are used for benchmarks when measuring land in the field by officers from the National Land Agency (BPN). This is a report from residents that there are costs that are outside the official and we will follow up," he explained.

It is known that the PTSL program has been regulated in Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 2 of 2018. This is the flagship product of President Jokowi in the first period until now. Nationally in 2017, the Ministry of ATR/BPN succeeded in measuring 5.2 million community land parcels.

Furthermore, in 2018, ATR/BPN even exceeded the target by issuing 9.4 million certificates, and in 2019 the government is targeting 11 million free land certificates and complete certification of all land by 2025.

"This program has many benefits for the community. There is certainty that the time for making a land certificate is clear and the cost is cheap, only Rp. 150,000 for the stake fee. However, there are people who take advantage of the situation and harm the community," he said.