East Java Police Reveals Land Mafia Case In Sumenep, SMIP Boss Becomes Suspect

The East Java Regional Police when releasing the land mafia case that occurred in Sumenep, Wednesday (5/6/2024). BETWEEN/HO-Bidhumas Polda East Java

SURABAYA - Sub-Directorate for Corruption at the East Java Regional Police revealed a land mafia case that occurred in three villages in Sumenep Regency with the suspect President Director of PT Sinar Mega Indah Persada (SMIP) with the initials HS (63).

"This HS was previously included in the DPO (wanted list). He sold cash lands in three villages, namely Kolor Village, Sumenep Kota District; Cabbiya Village and Talango Village, Talango District, Sumenep Regency," said Head of the Tipikor Sub-Directorate of the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the East Java Police AKBPEdy Herwiyanto at the East Java Police Headquarters, Surabaya, reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 5.

Apart from HS, the police also named the former Head of Kolor Village, Sumenep Kota District, with the initials MR (71), and a former officer of the State Land Agency (BPN) Sumenep Regency with the initials MH (76) as a suspect. However, MH has not been detained because he is sick.

"For the suspect HS, we detained him because the suspect had been uncooperative. When the summons was made, the suspect did not come, so we entered the DPO and we have managed to arrest him at this time," explained Edy.

The three perpetrators sold cash land in three villages by giving over and over, but it turned out that the land used to exchange the overthrow was fictitious.

"It turns out that they still have residents and residents have never traded the land to anyone," he said.

Edy explained that the land area in the three villages was around 160,000 square meters or approximately 17 hectares. The land is claimed by PT SMIP which is a development company for Bumi Sumekar Housing in Kolor Village, Sumenep City District.

State financial losses in this land mafia case reached Rp114 billion. The police have confiscated assets belonging to suspect HS, which amounted to around Rp97 billion as evidence.

"We are still developing this because this case occurred in 1997. It is suspected that the assets obtained by the perpetrators could be more than that," he said.

For their actions, the three suspects were charged with Articles 2 and 3 of the Anti-Corruption Law and articles on money laundering with a minimum penalty of 5 years to the heaviest of 20 years in prison.