Police Raid Cipete Shophouse in Major Graft Probe, Seize Documents and Computers

Polda Metro Jaya raided a three-storey shophouse in the Cipete area of South Jakarta early Friday morning, the 13th location searched in connection with a series of alleged corruption cases. Kabid Humas Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Budi Hermanto stated that the search was a continuation of the investigation, conducted jointly by the Corruption Eradication Task Force (Kortas Tipikor) and Polda Metro Jaya. He noted that the location was identified following witness examinations conducted the previous day and did not rule out further searches at other sites. During the operation, officers were forced to cut a chain with a grinder to gain entry to the three-storey building. Investigators subsequently seized a number of documents and computers from the premises, though Budi said it was too early to identify the specific nature of the documents. The raid is part of a wider probe that on Wednesday saw police search a money changer and the de’Clan Signature café in Cipete, as well as a residence in Bogor, West Java, where they seized gold bars and foreign currency worth billions of rupiah. The investigation covers three separate cases: alleged corruption in coal procurement at PLN that triggered blackouts, a case involving state-owned insurer ASABRI, and the settlement of debts from PT CBS to PT KNI, a subsidiary of state-owned steelmaker Krakatau Steel. Budi Hermanto emphasised that the investigation, which encompasses bribery, gratification, and money laundering, has drawn the attention of President Prabowo Subianto.