Indonesian Ex-Deputy AG, Businessman Named Corruption Suspects; Lawyer Denies Involvement

Indonesian authorities have named former Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Febrie Adriansyah and businessman Don Ritto as suspects in a corruption investigation. Ritto's lawyer, Handika Honggowongso, has asserted his client's complete lack of involvement in the alleged corruption, particularly concerning coal supply issues that are part of the investigation.

Handika stated that Don Ritto has no understanding of the matters being investigated by the police. He also claimed that assets seized from Ritto's cafe, de'Clan, and a money changer, Koin Money Charger, are unrelated to the corruption cases involving PT Asabri and PT Jiwasraya. According to Handika, the tens of billions of rupiah seized from the cafe were the result of legitimate business partnerships.

The lawyer further denied any connection between his client and Tan Kian, whose residence was also searched by police in connection with the case. Police have detained Don Ritto since July 10, 2026, while Febrie Adriansyah has not yet been detained. The investigation into three cases involving Febrie, corruption at PT Asabri, PT Krakatau Steel, and a coal supply corruption case impacting electricity in Sumatra, has been transferred to the Attorney General's Office for inter-agency synergy.

As part of the investigation, police confiscated approximately 74 kilograms of gold bars and substantial amounts of cash in various currencies. A significant seizure occurred at a house in Sentul, Bogor, yielding gold bars and over US$4.7 million and SGD$14 million, estimated to be worth around 476 billion rupiah. Earlier seizures at Cafe de'Clan Signature and Koin Money Changer also included foreign currency and cash.