Serpong Plaza

Did you ever hear of a mall built with dirty money? Serpong Plaza in Jakarta has such a story. This now-abandoned mall stands as a stark reminder of a shocking money laundering case that rocked Indonesia. Built in 2002 and opened in 2003, Serpong Plaza initially thrived. It housed hundreds of shops, with many owners proudly holding the deeds to their kiosks. The rooftop bustled with vendors selling vehicle spare parts. The mall spanned an impressive 35,000 square meters, occupying a 17,000 square meter plot of land, and rose five stories high. PT Sinar Central Rejeki managed this retail hub, but the company later went bankrupt. The downfall of Serpong Plaza began in 2012. The management became embroiled in the Bank Century scandal. The Indonesian National Police seized the mall as evidence in the case. This seizure was linked to a money laundering case involving Robert Tantular. He was implicated in the fraudulent misappropriation of customer funds from PT Antaboga Delta Sekuritas Indonesia at Bank Century. Tantular used some of this illicit money to establish PT Sinar Central Rejeki, a development company. These ill-gotten gains funded the construction of Serpong Plaza and the acquisition of other assets. At the time, Serpong Plaza was estimated to be worth a staggering 350 billion Rupiah. In 2016, the Supreme Court of Indonesia ruled that the state would seize the building. Serpong Plaza now stands deserted, a silent testament to a scandalous past.