The INDONESIAN (Jakarta) – The Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) of the Indonesian National Police has officially received a report on alleged criminal acts related to document forgery, complicity, abetment, and abuse of authority concerning incidents in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.
The report is recorded in the Police Report Receipt Letter (STTL) Number: STTL/96/II/2026/BARESKRIM, dated February 27, 2026. It was received at 7:20 PM WIB at the Integrated Police Service Center (SPKT) of Bareskrim Polri in Jakarta.
The initial reporter, identified as S, stated in the report that the alleged criminal acts are linked to an incident that occurred on January 31, 2017, in Labuan Bajo Subdistrict, Komodo District, West Manggarai Regency.
“The STTL document states that the report refers to alleged violations of Article 391 in conjunction with Articles 20, 21, and 58 letter (a) of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP),” said S in a press release on Tuesday (March 3, 2026) in Jakarta.
According to S, the parties reported include Erwin Kadiman Santosa alias Santosa Kadiman, Maria Fatmawati Naput, Paulus Grans Naput, employees of the West Manggarai Regency Land Office, and others.
The report also names Suwandi Ibrahim and other parties as victims.
The official report is registered under Police Report Number: LP/B/96/II/2026/SPKT/BARESKRIM POLRI, dated February 27, 2026. With the issuance of this STTL, the legal process for the alleged case has been administratively accepted and will be followed up in accordance with applicable procedures.
“This case has the potential to reopen old chapters of land disputes in Labuan Bajo, which have frequently drawn public attention amid the rapid development of the area as a super-priority tourism destination,” S noted.
Previously, the long struggle of the late Ibrahim Hanta’s (IH) family to defend their rights to an 11-hectare inherited land plot in Kerangan, Labuan Bajo, concluded with a victory at the cassation level.
Through Supreme Court Cassation Ruling Number 4568 K/PDT/2025 dated October 8, 2025, the Supreme Court rejected the cassation petition filed by Santosa Kadiman et al.
“The cassation ruling states the rejection of Santosa Kadiman et al.’s petition. Thus, the 11-hectare land in Kerangan, Labuan Bajo, is legally owned by the heirs of the late Ibrahim Hanta,” emphasized retired Police Inspector General Drs. I Wayan Sukawinaya, accompanied by Dr (c) Indra Triantoro, SH, MH, legal advisor to Ibrahim Hanta’s heirs.
The civil case originated from a lawsuit filed by Ibrahim Hanta’s heirs against Santosa Kadiman and the children of Nikolaus Naput, registered under Number 1/Pdt.G/2024/PN.Lbj.
On October 23, 2024, the Labuan Bajo District Court granted all claims from the heirs, with a ruling that stipulated:
– a. Declared the 11-hectare land in Kerangan as legally owned by Ibrahim Hanta’s heirs.
– b. Stated that all Certificates of Ownership (SHM) issued in the names of Nikolaus Naput’s children are invalid.
– c. Canceled the Binding Sale and Purchase Agreement (PPJB) dated January 15, 2014, as it was conducted without a valid legal basis.
The ruling was upheld by the Kupang High Court on March 18, 2025, before being affirmed by the Supreme Court.
“After the Supreme Court rejected the cassation, this case has acquired permanent legal force (inkracht). As such, there is no further legal recourse for Santosa Kadiman et al. to claim the land,” Indra stressed.
New Chapter: From Civil to Criminal
With the issuance of the STTL from Bareskrim Polri, the dispute that initially unfolded in the civil realm now enters the criminal dimension. The report is deemed a follow-up to the series of legal processes that have tested the validity of land ownership in court. (ed)
Reported from various media sources // photo from Google documents // contribution by Prime News Post international online media
