Cilacap Regent Arrested in Graft Operation, Third Regional Head Detained by KPK During Ramadan
The Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) made significant moves during the holy month of Ramadan, officially apprehending Cilacap Regent Syamsul Auliya Rachman in a dawn raid (OTT) carried out on Friday, 13 March 2026.
The arrest of Cilacap Regency’s top official is documented as the ninth dawn raid conducted by the KPK throughout 2026, and simultaneously represents the third action taken during Ramadan 1447 Hijriah.
KPK Deputy Chairman Fitroh Rohcahyanto confirmed the enforcement action in Central Java. “That is correct,” said Fitroh when contacted from Jakarta on Friday, 13 March.
In accordance with the Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), the KPK has 1 x 24 hours to determine the legal status of the parties captured in this covert operation.
Early 2026 Arrest Trend
The KPK’s enforcement actions throughout the first quarter of 2026 have been notably aggressive. Before apprehending the Cilacap Regent, the institution had conducted a series of major operations.
Bloody Ramadan
During Ramadan 1447 H alone, the KPK has taken action against three regional heads. Before the Cilacap Regent, two other regional leaders had already been designated as suspects.
At the time this report was published, Syamsul Auliya Rachman remained undergoing intensive questioning. The KPK is scheduled to provide official statements regarding the case structure and details of evidence at a forthcoming press conference. Field teams also brought in several other individuals suspected of involvement in this matter.
The KPK emphasised that the 20,000 additional haj quotas from 2024 should have been allocated to regular pilgrims who had waited 47 years in the queue, not diverted. The case involves former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, who was previously arrested in connection with alleged corruption in the haj quota scheme, described by the KPK as a tragic irony affecting thousands of elderly pilgrims facing cancellation of their pilgrimages due to queue manipulation.
The KPK also revealed that Rejang Lebong Regent Muhammad Fikri Thobari set project fees at 10–15 per cent of the total Rp91.13 billion budget at the Public Works and Housing Agency. Thobari was arrested in an earlier dawn raid for allegedly demanding bribes on development projects, with the motivation linked to funding his holiday allowance and Eid celebrations. The KPK seized evidence comprising hundreds of millions of rupiah and arrested five suspects in the case involving Thobari and three individuals with initials IRS, EDM, and YK related to alleged bribery in development projects in Rejang Lebong for 2025–2026.