Anti-Corruption Commission warns Cilacap Regent faces renewed extortion unless arrested this year

Jakarta — Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) has stated that if Cilacap Regent Syamsul Auliya Rachman is not arrested this year, he is likely to resume extorting local government work units in Cilacap District, Central Java, to obtain year-end holiday allowance funds (THR).

“If he is not caught this year, there is a strong possibility that it will happen again or be repeated next year,” said KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu at KPK headquarters in Jakarta on Saturday evening, 14 March.

Asep made this statement because Syamsul Auliya’s extortion practices had occurred previously during Ramadan 2025, though at that time the activities were not monitored by the KPK and no reports had been filed.

Previously, on 13 March 2026, the KPK announced its ninth operation of the year and third during Ramadan, arresting Cilacap Regent Syamsul Auliya Rachman and 26 others, whilst seizing cash in rupiah.

On 14 March 2026, the KPK designated Syamsul Auliya Rachman (AUL) and Cilacap Regional Secretary Sadmoko Danardoo (SAD) as suspects in cases of alleged extortion and unlawful receipt of benefits within the Cilacap District Government, Central Java, for the 2025-2026 financial year.

Syamsul Auliya had set a target of obtaining 750 million rupiahs through extortion, to be divided into 515 million rupiahs for the Year-End Allowance (THR) of the District Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) in Cilacap District, with the remainder for personal purposes. However, he had only obtained 610 million rupiahs before being arrested by the KPK.