JAKARTA, LITERASIHUKUM.COM — The Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police have extended the detention period of doctor Richard Lee for 40 days, starting from March 26, 2026 to May 5, 2026. The extension was carried out because the case file process is still ongoing and investigators are still awaiting certainty as to whether the case file has been declared complete by the prosecutor's office.

This development marks that the alleged violation case consumer protection as well as alleged violations related to beauty products and treatments has entered a more serious stage. Previously, Richard Lee had undergone initial detention for 20 days since March 6, 2026, after the Metro Jaya Regional Police detained the person concerned for allegedly obstructing the investigation. At that time, the police stated that Richard Lee did not attend the additional examination and repeatedly failed to report without a clear reason.

The extension was carried out while waiting for the files to be declared complete

The Metro Jaya Regional Police had previously signaled that Richard Lee's detention period could be extended if investigators still needed additional time to complete the case files. The police explained that, in the investigation mechanism, the first phase of detention lasts 20 days and can be extended for another 40 days if the files are not complete or not P21. Until the end of March 2026, the police also stated that Richard Lee was still in the Metro Jaya Regional Police Detention Center and there had been no suspension of detention from their side.

The case against Richard Lee himself originated from a police report registered on December 2, 2024. He was then named a suspect on December 15, 2025 in a case of alleged consumer protection violations related to beauty products and treatments. In his legal process, Richard Lee had filed a pre-trial motion against the determination of his suspect status, but the petition was rejected by the South Jakarta District Court on February 11, 2026. The judge stated that the determination of suspect status was based on sufficient evidence.

Charged under the Health Law and Consumer Protection Law

In this case, Richard Lee is suspected of violating Article 435 juncto Article 138 paragraph (2) of Law Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health and Article 62 paragraph (1) juncto Article 8 paragraph (1) and Article 9 paragraph (1) of Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection. Based on the police explanation quoted by Antara, the criminal threat in this case can reach 12 years in prison and a fine of billions of rupiah, depending on the evidence of the applied articles.

With the extension of the detention period, the focus of the case has now shifted to the completeness of the files and the readiness for transfer to the next stage. This means that in the near future, public attention will be focused on whether the prosecutor's office declares Richard Lee's case file complete, or returns it to be completed again by the investigators.