Former Head Of Sawah Basar Semarang Covers His Face With Masks When Detained In Case Asking For IDR 160 Million From Entrepreneurs

The former Head of Sawah Besar Village with the initials JS was transported in a prisoner's car after an inspection at the Semarang City Kejari, Tuesday (ANTARA/IC Senjaya)

The Semarang City District Attorney (Kejari) has detained a former Sawah Besar village head with the initials JS who is a suspect in receiving illegal levies (extortion) from businessmen in the process of managing land certification for business investment in the Central Java capital area. When transported by officers, JS covered his face with a mask so that the media crew would not take pictures. Head of the Special Crimes Section of the Semarang City Prosecutor's Office, Agus Sunaryo, said the suspect was detained for the next 20 days at the Semarang Prison after previously undergoing examination. According to him, the mode used by the suspect in a criminal act is by asking for a sum of money from businessmen who are currently processing land documents that will be used as places of business. He explained that the suspect asked for some money for the certification processing from Letter C land to property rights which was carried out in 2021. "The suspect asked for some money, it was agreed to be given Rp160 million," he said in Semarang, Antara, Tuesday, May 14. According to him, this kind of land mafia mode is feared to interfere with investment in Semarang City. Furthermore, he said, investigators will still develop the case to find out the possibility of other actors enjoying the alleged money from extortion. "From the suspect's confession, only one community was asked for the unofficial fee," he added.

In addition, he continued, the Semarang City Prosecutor's Office will also investigate the possibility of similar practices in other areas.