What Links Don Ritto to Febrie Adriansyah's Graft Case?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The police have named lawyer Don Ritto, also known as Idon, a suspect in three corruption cases involving former Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) Febrie Adriansyah. Don Ritto’s attorney, Handika Honggowongso, acknowledged that his client knew Febrie before the case came to light.

"If asked whether they knew each other, yes, they did," Handika said at the Jakarta Metro Police headquarters on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

Handika explained that his client and Febrie shared the same alma mater. Both graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Jambi. However, Handika did not specify whether they attended during the same period.

He declined to elaborate further on the nature of his client's relationship with Febrie. "That is part of what is being investigated [by the police]. We cannot provide a more detailed explanation," Handika said.

He denied Don Ritto’s involvement in the alleged corruption committed by Febrie Adriansyah. Nevertheless, Handika confirmed that the police had searched Kafe de'Clan Signature and Koin Money Changer, both owned by his client, in connection with the case.

According to Handika, the restaurant was originally managed jointly by his client and businessman Ferry Yanto Hongkiriwang. Operating under the name Gontran Cherrier, the establishment initially served French cuisine.

The restaurant later went bankrupt. Don Ritto then rebranded and renamed the establishment Kafe de'Clan Signature. "After going bankrupt, everything was handed over to Don [following Ferry's resignation]," Handika said.

The restaurant was notably the site of a stalking incident in 2024. At the time, Febrie Adriansyah was trailed by personnel from the National Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism squad. According to information obtained by Tempo, Febrie was a frequent diner at the restaurant back when it was called Gontran Cherrier. This surveillance incident was previously covered in the June 2, 2024 edition of Tempo Magazine.

Meanwhile, the August 24, 2025 edition of Tempo Magazine reported that Ferry himself was once tailed by Densus 88 operative Brigadier FF while having lunch with his business partner, Michael Njoman, at Hotel Borobudur. Following the incident, Ferry was suspected of abducting and assaulting Brigadier FF, which led to his arrest.

Information obtained by Tempo indicates that the police had originally planned to raid the restaurant following the stalking incident but were unable to proceed. The search was finally executed on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, under tight escort by the police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel.

An officer at the scene acknowledged that the raid was indeed tied to Febrie. "But that still needs to be verified through documents," he told Tempo at the location.

Jakarta Metro Police Special Crimes Investigation Director Commissioner General Victor Dean Mackbon stated that investigators have not yet questioned Ferry regarding the corruption case involving Febrie and Don Ritto. "He has not been questioned as a witness yet," Victor told Tempo on Monday, July 13, 2026.

According to Victor, investigators have only questioned Ferry in connection with the alleged assault of Densus 88 operative Brigadier FF. That incident, which occurred in July 2025, is being handled by the General Crimes Directorate of the Jakarta Metro Police.

Jihan Ristiyanti contributed to this article.

Read: Police Hand Over Evidence in Ex-Prosecutor Case to AGO

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News