Case Proceedings in the Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq Case

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officially named the Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq as a suspect in a case of alleged corruption related to the procurement of outsourcing services and other procurements within the Pekalongan Regency Government for the 2023-2026 financial year. The top official of Pekalongan Regency has been detained at the KPK’s State Detention House, Red and White Building branch, for the first 20 days until 23 March 2026. The case was uncovered by KPK through an ‘OTT’ (Operation Tangkap Tangan) operation conducted by the KPK on Tuesday, 3 March in the early hours. ‘Based on sufficient evidence in the suspected criminal act of corruption related to the procurement of outsourcing services and other procurements within Pekalongan Regency Government for the 2023-2026 financial year, KPK elevated this case to the investigation stage and named one person as a suspect, namely Mrs FAR,’ said Asep Guntur Rahayu, Deputy for Enforcement and Execution at the KPK, at a press conference in Jakarta on the afternoon of Wednesday, 4 March. The KPK said that one year after Fadia was inaugurated as Pekalongan Regent for the 2021-2025 period and re-elected for the next five years, Mukhtaruddin Ashraff Abu (ASH), Fadia’s husband and a Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives for 2024-2029, together with Muhammad Sabiq Ashraff (MSA), Fadia’s son and also a member of the Pekalongan Regional House of Representatives, established a company named PT Raja Nusantara Berjaya (RNB). The company operates in the provision of services and has actively served as a vendor in the procurement of goods and services within the Pekalongan Regency Government. ASH became the Commissioner of PT RNB, while MSA served as director for the period 2022-2024. In 2024, Fadia changed the position of Director of PT RNB from her son Sabiq to Rul Bayatun (RUL). RUL is an employee and also a trusted aide of Fadia. Meanwhile, Fadia, while serving as regent, is said to be the beneficial owner (BO) of PT RNB. Most of PT RNB’s employees are the regent’s campaign team assigned to work in several Regional Apparatus Work Units (PD) of the Pekalongan Regency government. ‘After one year of operation, during 2023-2026, PT RNB was known to obtain outsourcing service procurement projects in several PDs of the Pekalongan Regency government,’ Asep said. During this period, Fadia, through Sabiq and her trusted associate, allegedly intervened with the heads of departments to secure PT RNB’s win for outsourcing service procurement across several agencies, districts, and the Pekalongan Regional General Hospital (RSUD). Even though other companies submitted lower bids, the regional apparatus were required to award to the ‘Mother Company’s’ ‘Ibu Company’ (PT RNB). This could potentially cause state financial losses. Each regional department bidding for procurement was asked to submit their Estimated Price (HPS) to PT RNB at the outset so PT RNB could adjust its bid value to approximate the HPS figure. ‘That violates procedures in the procurement of goods and services,’ Asep added. Throughout 2025, PT RNB dominated procurement projects in the Pekalongan Regency government, carrying out outsourcing service procurements in 17 regional departments, 3 RSUDs, and 1 district. The KPK notes that from 2023 to 2026 there were incoming transactions to PT RNB amounting to Rp46 billion sourced from contracts with units within the Pekalongan Regency Government. ‘Of that money, only Rp22 billion was used to pay outsourcing workers’ salaries. The remainder was enjoyed and distributed to the regent’s family, totaling Rp19 billion (around 40 percent) of the total transactions,’ Asep said. The breakdown: Fadia received Rp5.5 billion; ASH received Rp1.1 billion; RUL received Rp2.3 billion; MSA received Rp4.6 billion; MHN (Mehnaz Na, who is also Fadia’s child) received Rp2.5 billion. ‘In addition, cash withdrawals of Rp3 billion were made,’ Asep said. The four-star police general added that the management and distribution of the money were controlled by Fadia. The arrangement was conducted via WhatsApp group communications named “Belanja RSUD” with her staff. Each withdrawal for the regent, staff always reported, documented, and sent through that WhatsApp group. ‘Investigators will continue to trace whether the company was also used to perpetrate other modes of illicit gain,’ added Asep. In the OTT conducted on Tuesday dawn, at least 14 people were arrested by the KPK. The first batch comprised three people including Fadia, and the remaining 11. One of them, MSA, as Director of PT RNB and a member of Pekalongan Regional House of Representatives, came to the Gedung Merah Putih after being contacted by the KPK. Asep said that during intensive questioning, Fadia claimed to come from a dangdut musician background, not a bureaucrat, and thus claimed not to understand law and governance. ‘This, of course, contradicts the presumption of ius de iure (legal fiction theory). Moreover, FAR is a regent or state administrator for two terms and had once served as Deputy Regent for the period 2011-2016, thus FAR should understand the principles of good governance in local government,’ Asep said. ‘Meanwhile, the Secretary-General and several others said they had repeatedly reminded the regent of the potential for conflict of interest in the procurement. Nevertheless, the practice continued by the regent, he concluded.’ Asep added that the KPK, through its coordination and supervision function, had also provided intensive assistance to the Pekalongan Regency Government. ’In addition, the KPK team also secured evidence in the form of one unit of vehicle belonging to RUL and electronic evidence (BBE) belonging to other parties.