Police: Legal Entity Suspected of Ordering Protesters Based in Jakarta
The Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police (Polda Metro Jaya) are currently investigating the suspected involvement of a legal entity that allegedly ordered and funded the mobilisation of masses, which resulted in riots on 27 August 2026. Police revealed that the legal entity is domiciled in Jakarta.
“Regarding the next question about its domicile, yes, it is around Jakarta,” said the Director of Criminal Investigation, Kombes Iman Imanuddin, during a press conference at Polda Metro Jaya, South Jakarta, on Saturday (12/9/2026).
However, Iman was reluctant to disclose the specific name or profile of the legal entity. He stated that the identity of the entity cannot yet be revealed to the public to protect the ongoing investigation process.
“As for which legal entity or who, I will not disclose that on this occasion because it pertains to the substance of our investigation and inquiry,” he explained.
“When the time comes and we have determined whether the party involved can be held criminally liable for their actions, we will inform the public,” Iman added.
Iman explained that the legal entity commissioned certain parties to deploy a number of people to the field. Each participant was promised a daily allowance of Rp 70,000.
“This legal entity ordered someone to prepare a number of people according to their request. Then, each person was provided with funding, a salary, or a wage; some were Rp 70,000 per person, some were Rp 40,000, and some were Rp 50,000,” Iman revealed.
In addition to the legal entity, the police have also detected individual actors involved in a multi-layered scheme to distribute funds to the protesters. It is suspected that operational funds were progressively deducted from the top levels down to the protesters on the ground.
“This is a sort of scheme. The person ordering prepares a certain amount, which then decreases as it moves down the chain, and decreases further as it reaches the number of people ordered,” he added.
Previously, police revealed suspicions of actors funding the actions that ended in chaos on 27 August 2026. Investigators have identified at least three clusters, one of which involves university students.
Within this student cluster, a field coordinator (korlap) with the initials ER, a student at a university in Jakarta, is under investigation. ER allegedly received direct orders from the legal entity.
“In the second cluster, we found findings from a field coordinator named ER, which we are currently deepening. ER is a student at a university in Jakarta who promised or prepared funds of Rp 70,000 per head,” Iman said.
ER was reportedly asked to gather people after receiving a supply of funds from the legal entity.
“ER received the order from one of the legal entities we are currently investigating; that legal entity prepared the budget and requested the preparation of people through ER,” he explained.
Iman emphasised that this investigation is being conducted thoroughly to create a deterrent effect and prevent similar incidents from recurring, given that the riots caused public loss and damage to public facilities.