Police Arrest King and Queen of 'Grand Universe Kingdom' Cult
Jakarta. Totok Santoso Hadiningrat and his wife Fanni Aminadia declared themselves the king and queen of Keraton Agung Sejagat, or the Grand Universe Kingdom, back in 2018. Their cult had gone largely unnoticed until a video of a party at their "palace" in Pogung, a village in Purworejo, Central Java, went viral last week, attracting equal amount derision and suspicion from the public.
Central Java Governor Gandjar Pranowo on Tuesday ordered officials to investigate the cult. Later that afternoon, Purwerojo district police had arrested its king and queen, according to Central Java Police spokesman Chief Comr. Iskandar Fitriana Sutisna.
The couple, originally from Jakarta, have been charged with spreading fake news and causing public disorder, and face up to 10 years in jail.
According to the police, they have been extracting money from their followers in different amounts – from Rp 3 million ($219) to up to Rp 30 million – as "membership fees" to earn the privilege to become subjects of the self-proclaimed king and queen.
Those who want to secure high positions in the "government of the kingdom" were forced to pay more money.
"They promised their followers a monthly salary in US dollars," Central Java Police Chief Insp. Gen. Rycko Amelza Dahniel said in Semarang on Wednesday.
Totok and Fanni are now being detained at the Central Java Police headquarters in Semarang.
The couple also face an additional charge of fraud, the police chief said.
Grand Universe Kingdom
Totok and Fanni declared the founding of the Grand Universe Kingdom in Purworejo in 2018. In two years it gained 450 subjects until the capture of its king and queen.
"The 'kingdom' was founded in 2018, and since then the king and queen have held parties and ceremonies at their palace in Pogung," police spokesman Iskandar said.
In the structure of the kingdom, the king is called a sinuhun and the queen kanjeng ratu. It has 13 resi or ministers and even an army, Iskandar said.
Totok and Fanni are unemployed and registered as residents of Jakarta.
Even though the kingdom has its own system of government, the couple will not be charged with treason, the police spokesman said.
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