Bouquets of Support for the KPK as It Arrests Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said it had received substantial support from Pekalongan residents following the arrest of Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq. KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said that some residents demonstrated their support by sending floral tributes to Gedung Merah Putih, Jakarta. The three bouquets came from Aliansi Rakyat Pekalongan Bersatu, Masyarakat Kabupaten Pekalongan, and Rakyat Kabupaten Pekalongan. The bouquets carried messages of thanks and support for the KPK in its fight against corruption; one read ‘Thank you, Corruption Eradication Commission, You Have Saved Us.’ Budi said this represented trust and hope in the KPK’s anti-corruption efforts going forward. ‘And when we talk about eradicating corruption, this is a collective endeavour and the KPK is committed to continuing to collaborate with all elements of society, particularly for prevention or mitigation going forward,’ he said.
The KPK subsequently detained Fadia Arafiq for the first 20 days from 4 to 23 March 2026 at the Gedung Merah Putih branch of the KPK’s State Detention Centre.
In this case, Fadia is alleged to have been involved in a comprehensive scheme: founding the family company PT Raja Nusantara Berjaya (RNB), taking part in procurement projects within the Pekalongan Regency Government, directing subordinates to win contracts for her company, and billions of rupiah in profits flowing back to her family.
The KPK disclosed that Fadia had gained substantial benefits in line with the amount of procurement projects undertaken by PT RNB across several Pekalongan Regency government agencies. Moreover, a large portion of PT RNB’s staff were members of the Regent’s campaign team, employed in a number of Pekalongan Regency government offices.
In 2025, PT RNB dominated the Pekalongan Regency Government’s procurement of goods and services, handling outsourcing services across 17 regional government agencies, 3 RSUDs, and 1 Kecamatan.
From that money, only Rp22 billion was used to pay outsourcing staff salaries. The remainder was enjoyed and shared with the Regent’s family, totalling Rp19 billion (about 40 per cent of the total transactions).
For her actions, Fadia is charged with corruption under Article 12(i) and Article 12B of Indonesia’s Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption, as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001 on Amendments to Law No. 31 of 1999, in conjunction with Article 127(1) of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Indonesian Penal Code (KUHP).