Police Raid Cipete Cafe Linked to Three Major Corruption Cases, Seize Cash and Gold
A cafe in Cipete, South Jakarta, drew sudden public attention on Wednesday as Brimob personnel secured the entrance to the establishment named de’Clan, which was undergoing a police search. Two hours later, police officials revealed the case behind the search, linking it to investigations into state-owned enterprises PLN, Asabri, Jiwasraya, and Krakatau Steel. By Wednesday evening, officers had seized unusual items from the restaurant and cafe, including a safe and bundles of US dollar banknotes.
Polda Metro Jaya explained that the deployment of Brimob personnel to secure the search at de’Clan Signature was standard procedure. Kabid Humas Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Budi Hermanto stated that the use of force was a precautionary measure and part of the police’s Standard Operating Procedure. He urged all parties not to obstruct the investigation process, emphasising that there are legal consequences for those who hinder it.
The head of the National Police’s Corruption Eradication Task Force (Kortas Tipikor), Inspector General Totok Suharyanto, said the investigation was being handled as a joint operation with the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of Polda Metro Jaya. The cases involve alleged corruption at PLN related to coal procurement that triggered a blackout, the Asabri case, and the settlement of debts from PT CBS to PT KNI, a subsidiary of the state-owned enterprise Krakatau Steel. Kabid Humas Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Budi Hermanto stressed that the investigation into these corruption cases was a matter of attention for President Prabowo Subianto.
During the search, police seized four suitcases of varying sizes, a money counting machine, and a safe. Officers also found a significant amount of cash in Singapore dollars and US dollars. Kakortas Tipikor Irjen Totok Suharyanto reported that the total cash seized at the cafe location, including foreign currency and rupiah, amounted to approximately Rp 60 billion. Three cafe employees were also examined as witnesses at the scene.
In addition to the cafe, police searched an adjacent money changer and subsequently sealed both locations. The second floor, which contained offices, was placed under a status quo order for the investigation, while the ground floor operations were returned to management. In a related search at a residence in Sentul, Bogor, police discovered a locked safe containing seven suitcases. The contents included 74 kilograms of gold bullion, US dollars, Singapore dollars, and rupiah, with a total estimated value of Rp 476 billion.