Cianjur District Court Temporarily Stops The Execution Of The Puncak GKAI Land

Representatives from the Indonesian Bible Christian Church (GKAI) Puncak, Cipanas, Cianjur Regency, West Java, while mediating at the Cianjur District Court Office, Tuesday (16/1/2024). (Ahmad Fikri)

CIANJUR - The Cianjur District Court, West Java, temporarily suspended the execution of the disputed land where the Indonesian Bible Christian Church (GKAI) of Puncak Cipanas was established, until the 2024 General Election was over, while waiting for a family settlement from both parties.

Chairman of the Cianjur District Court Class 1B Rudita Setya Hermawan said the position of the Cianjur District Court was an intermediary between GKAI Puncak Cipanas and BPR CAR to mediate over the land dispute.

"We are temporarily stopping the execution process because there are still negotiations to find a family path between the two parties, although from the legal side the execution process can be carried out," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, January 16.

He explained that the execution of dependents was in accordance with legal channels but on the disputed land the establishment of the church, so his party took a middle ground because of various considerations including congregational worship activities every week.

However, he emphasized that the debt dependent owner to the bank was Doni Tarntung Panggabean, not GKAI Puncak Cipanas so that no execution could be carried out even though his parents' certificate had already changed its name to Doni Tarntung Panggabean.

The head of GKAI Puncak Cipanas, Pastor Parhimpunan Simatupang, after mediating with PT BPR Central Artha Rezeki (CAR) said that the results of the mediation would not take any action until the 2024 election was over, or until there was a mutual agreement between the church and the bank.

"We have conveyed our wishes to the leaders of all institutions so that this issue can be a concern, while waiting after the 2024 election, the church and banks will continue to discuss until they reach an agreement," he said.

He explained that in the mediation, GKAI Puncak Cipanas offered a solution to the BPR CAR to release two of the four land certificates which were loan guarantees of Rp6 billion by Doni Tarntung Panggabean.

Because GKAI Puncak Cipanas and the graves of Rev. Timbul Panggabean, who are one of the founders of the church, are in the scope of two of the four land certificates, BPR CAR is asked to recalculate how much debt must be paid.

"Of the four certificates, two of them are certificates outside the church environment, and the other two are where the church stands, so we ask for two certificates in the church to see how the process for payment is according to our abilities," he said.