Father of Indonesian Child Singer Farel Prayoga Files Police Complaint Against Manager
A dispute over finances and career management has escalated to a formal legal challenge, as the father of Indonesian singing sensation Farel Prayoga has filed a complaint with the National Police Headquarters Criminal Investigation Unit against his son’s manager, identified only by the initials R. The legal action follows a growing conflict regarding the handling of Farel’s burgeoning career and associated earnings.
The father, Joko Suyoto, emphasized that the decision to involve law enforcement was a personal one, made with the full support of his family. He stated he resorted to legal measures only after feeling the situation had become untenable. “Yes, my children are what I say. As for my children, what I say. I’ve heard that if I have a conclusion, my own decision, that’s all. I also don’t want it to be too extreme, it’s impossible for it to be like this,” Joko said when speaking with reporters in South Jakarta on Thursday.
The complaint comes amid accusations leveled against Joko himself, alleging he exploited his son’s talent from a young age. He vehemently denied these claims, recounting his efforts to nurture Farel’s passion for singing while living a modest life in their village. “Yes, that’s where I didn’t accept it. They said I was taking advantage of it. Starting from when I was little, I invited them to sing. Maybe if I hadn’t invited them to sing, it wouldn’t have been like this. Yes, it’s called life in the village, singing is normal,” Joko explained.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, Joko expressed concern over his son’s well-being, revealing that Farel had reportedly missed school for the past two days. He indicated a desire to speak with Farel directly and understand the reason for his absence. “I just want to order later. I just want to order directly later. I want to go there. Maybe after this I heard that he hasn’t been to school for two days. I don’t know why. I want to know,” he said.
Joko described Farel as a well-behaved child but noted a recent shift in his demeanor, observed through various media appearances. “If I come from groups, from videos, podcasts, that’s fine. But now, I see that some people don’t answer fluently anymore,” he stated, cautiously refraining from directly attributing these changes to the manager’s influence. He urged the public to form their own objective opinions. “We can’t come to a conclusion. We’ll see together,” he added.
Communication between Joko and Farel has reportedly dwindled in recent days, with the pair last connecting via text message two days prior. “Still chatting, still communicating. Just haven’t called in the past two days, haven’t been connected. That’s why I want to go there,” Joko concluded.
The dispute initially surfaced following a claim that Farel’s earnings had reached IDR 10 billion (approximately $640,000 USD). Joko publicly challenged the manager, Rais, to substantiate this claim, a confrontation captured in a viral video on TikTok.
The situation remains fluid, and further developments are anticipated as the police investigation progresses.
