One of them, Wahyudi, was the leader of the foundation’s security team. “It’s obvious that it’s murder,” said Abdul’s nephew, Muhammad Efendi, who identified the body.Ībdul was a respected figure in Probolinggo regency and news of his murder shook the community. A noose was around his neck, his hands were tied, and there were bruises on the back of his head. His head was wrapped in a plastic bag and duct-taped. Without a word to his family, Abdul disappeared. On April 13, 2016, things took a dramatic turn. His attempts to reach Abdul again were also unsuccessful.
“There were a few people who wanted to share, but they were afraid for their safety.”
“There were rumours of strange ongoings,” he said. “If I were to guess, it seemed like he had something he wanted to get off his chest … but he was hesitant to tell his story,” said Faisol.Ībdul was said to be one of Dimas’ closest friends – there were rumours they had known each other since they were teens.įaisol began to investigate the foundation. One day in August, the chairman of Dimas’ foundation, Abdul Gani, approached Faisol and said he had something to tell him. It was in 2014, journalist Faisol recalled, that the first hints of trouble surfaced. “It’s like when you want to get a loan from the bank, you have to first pay a provision fee.”ĭimas also promised to contribute funds to Lilik’s organisation's hospital building project. “They called it a cash-out fee,” said Lilik, who declined to name his former organisation as it has dealings with the country’s public sector. “That was the threat – in the end, we were scared.”Īs for Lilik Riyanto, the then-finance manager of a charitable organisation, Dimas told him that in order to get funding from his foundation, he would first have to give money to it. “If the suitcases were opened before the stipulated date, you will die, go blind … be paralysed,” he said. Money, he was told, had been locked inside. In return, he was given suitcases as a guarantee. That compelled him to hand over as much as he could – even selling his assets and taking a bank loan. “But he always said the money would be returned,” Muhammad Ali explained. At the start, Muhammad Ali had not intended to hand over “that much money”. Magnetism aside, those like Muhammad Ali also noted that the foundation was financially sound and donating to social causes.ĭimas had promised to multiply the money Muhammad Ali gave. What exactly made him so extraordinary? The programme Catching A Scammer explores the con – and the appeal of the man himself.ĮXPLORE CNA’S SCAMS MICROSITE: Scammers exposed: Investigating Asia-based scams targetting victims around the world But even today, there are some who remain loyal to him. Then, the dead bodies of two of his foundation’s leaders were discovered and identified.ĭimas has since been unmasked as a fraud and jailed. Over two years from early 2014, Muhammad Ali handed over 35 billion rupiah (S$3.068 million) – and he was just one of thousands who gave the man money.īut it was also around that time that Dimas’ scam began to unravel. In 2012, he officially registered his foundation, Padepokan Dimas Kanjeng Taat Pribadi, and started collecting even larger sums of money, and assets, from followers, promising handsome returns. Word of his supposed power started spreading rapidly throughout Indonesia from 2009. Dimas, whose real name is Taat Pribadi, claimed he had the power to multiply money – a “power” that he demonstrated to great effect among those watching him.
“I was enchanted,” Muhammad Ali said, going on to describe the spiritual leader as convincing, authoritative, and charismatic.īut it was more than just his personality. At the height of Dimas’ popularity, he was estimated to have 23,000 followers. Even high-ranking officials flocked to him.Īt every gathering spiritual leader Dimas Kanjeng held, tens of thousands would attend, recalled businessman and lawyer Muhammad Ali. PROBOLINGGO, East Java: They came in droves from all over the country.
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