Police to Question Bekasi Islamic Centre Management Over Fraud Allegations
The management of Bekasi Islamic Centre is set to be questioned by police as part of an investigation into alleged fraud by wedding organiser Marwah Catering Service, which operates in East Jakarta.
“We may conduct further in-depth investigation and interviews with other witnesses regarding the incident, possibly including the Bekasi Islamic Centre management where the wedding took place,” said East Jakarta Metropolitan Police Residency Criminal Investigation Unit Chief Inspector Bayu Kurniawan, as reported by Antara on Monday (25 May).
Bayu stated the questioning aims to trace the payment process for the wedding venue previously booked by the victims.
The victims had reported that Marwah Catering allegedly only paid a deposit and had not settled the full venue cost.
“Based on victim information, Marwah Catering only paid a deposit to the venue and has not settled the full payment,” Bayu added.
He said statements from the venue management will be crucial in uncovering the alleged fraud reported by the victims.
“This will also form part of our investigation process, including questioning the venue management,” Bayu said.
The East Jakarta Metropolitan Police received a report from victims Feni Indah Fitria and Renaldi Zulfi, who claimed to have been defrauded by Marwah Catering Service over their wedding arrangements.
So far, investigators have interviewed and clarified statements from three witnesses, including a relative of the victims.
“We have clarified with the victims and one witness who is the sister’s brother of Feni. Three people have been interviewed,” Bayu explained.
In addition to interviewing witnesses, police also checked Marwah Catering’s office in Jakarta Garden City (JGC), Cakung, East Jakarta, but found it had ceased operations and was closed.
“Our officers checked Marwah Catering’s office in JGC, but it has since closed,” Bayu stated.
The site check was conducted to verify the existence of the reported office and gather additional evidence for the investigation.
Police confirmed the investigation continues with evidence collection, additional witness interviews, and exploring possible other victims in similar cases.