Forestry Minister Clarifies Involvement in Kuansing Regent Sting, Reveals Mysterious White Envelope

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni has issued a clarification regarding his alleged involvement in the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) sting operation against Kuantan Singingi Regent Suhardiman Amby on 2 June 2026. The regent has been named a suspect in a bribery case concerning the appointment of a regional secretary.

During a press conference in Jakarta on Friday, the minister stated that the regent did attend an open meeting at the ministry on the date in question. He emphasised that the meeting was official, with the regent sending a formal letter, and it was publicised on both the minister’s and the ministry’s social media channels, complete with an attendance list and minutes. The minister added that if the KPK requires them, the ministry would proactively hand over any necessary evidence or important documents.

Menhut Raja Juli explained that during the meeting, the regent left behind a sealed envelope inside a folder. He only realised the item had been left after Suhardiman Amby had departed and immediately instructed his aide-de-camp to return the envelope. ‘I did not know what was inside, but I felt I had no right to the envelope, and I asked my aide to return it,’ Raja stated. He noted that the meeting occurred on a Tuesday, and he initially instructed his sole aide to travel to return the item on Friday, 5 June. However, the trip could not be made on that date because the aide was required to accompany him to a separate meeting with the Junior Attorney General for Civil and State Administrative Affairs at the Directorate of State Administration and Legal Considerations of the Attorney General’s Office.