Woman Sued for Demolishing Official Residence with Excavator in Surabaya

A woman in Surabaya, identified as Murnita Triwidyaning, also known as Nita, is facing trial at the Surabaya District Court for allegedly demolishing an official residence using an excavator. She claimed ownership of the property, despite it being state-owned. The incident occurred on the night of August 27, 2025. According to the prosecutor, the defendant first rented an excavator and directed the operator to the target building, an official residence located at Jalan Asemrowo Kali Number 23, Surabaya, belonging to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) for East Java I. The defendant contacted a heavy equipment rental service and booked an excavator. Upon arrival, she pointed out the building to the operator. To gain access to the residence, she first broke the padlock on the gate with a hammer. Once inside, she instructed the excavator operator to demolish the building's walls, resulting in its near-complete destruction, with only the garage remaining. After the work was finished, she paid the operator Rp7 million. At the time of the demolition, the local community leader, RT Nanang Sudibyo, confronted the defendant for carrying out the act without permission and disturbing residents. However, the defendant insisted that she had purchased the official residence. The demolition proceeded despite clear signage identifying the building as state property under the Ministry of Finance. The destruction of this residence is estimated to have caused state losses of approximately Rp537.3 million. The defendant has been charged under Article 410 and Article 406 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code concerning the destruction of another person's property. Source: CNN Indonesia