Cilacap Regent Charged with Extorting Department Heads for Eid Holiday Funds

The inactive Regent of Cilacap, Syamsul Auliya Rachman, has been indicted for allegedly forcing the heads of regional apparatus organisations (OPD) within the regency government to collect funds intended for Eid al-Fitr holiday bonuses. During a session at the Semarang Corruption Court on Friday, Public Prosecutor Eko Wahyu stated that the defendant instructed the Cilacap Regional Secretary, Sadmoko Danardono, to gather the necessary funds.

“The defendant informed Regional Secretary Sadmoko Danardono that he required between Rp500 million and Rp700 million for THR (holiday allowance) purposes,” the prosecutor stated during the hearing presided over by Chief Judge Rosana Irawati. Following this request, a list of 27 OPDs was identified as targets for the collection of funds for the defendant’s personal use. The prosecution noted that a total of Rp568 million was successfully collected for Syamsul Auliya’s requirements.

In the indictment, the prosecution assessed that the defendant coerced the heads of various departments to provide the money for his Eid holiday needs. In this case, the Cilacap Regional Secretary, Sadmoko Danardono, is also being tried alongside Syamsul Auliya under a separate case file. For his actions, the defendant faces charges under Article 12 letter e or Article 12B of Law Number 31 of 1999, as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001, concerning the eradication of corruption crimes. In response to the indictment, the defendant, Syamsul Auliya, stated that he would not file an objection and requested that the trial proceed to the evidentiary stage.