DPR Speaker Calls for Evaluation Following Two Bupati Arrests in Single Week

Jakarta — The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, has stressed the need for an evaluation following the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) arrest of two regents through sting operations (OTT) within a single week.

“We must conduct a joint evaluation between the DPR and the government regarding this matter,” Puan stated at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

According to Puan, the evaluation should address political financing costs, the education of regional leaders, and oversight mechanisms. She believes such an evaluation is necessary to prevent similar cases from occurring again.

The KPK conducted two sting operations against regents in early March 2026. First, in Semarang, the KPK arrested Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq along with his aide and associates in the early hours of Tuesday, 3 March 2026. The sting operation targeting Fadia Arafiq was related to alleged corruption in the procurement of goods and outsourcing services within the Pekalongan Regional Government.

A week later, in Bengkulu, the KPK arrested Rejang Lebong Regent Muhammad Fikri Thobari and Rejang Lebong Deputy Regent Fikri on Monday evening, 9 March 2026. The KPK stated that this sting operation was connected to alleged bribery in a project case.