Indictment Reveals Cilacap Regent's Extortion of Eid Bonuses Faced Opposition from Subordinates
The inactive Regent of Cilacap, Syamsul Auliya Rachman, attended his first hearing for the reading of the indictment at the Semarang Corruption Court, Central Java, on Friday (31/07/2026). Syamsul is accused of extorting various regional apparatus organisations (OPD) within his administration to fund Eid al-Fitr holiday allowances (THR). The extortion attempt reportedly faced opposition from his subordinates.
Prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) revealed that the alleged extortion occurred between February and March 202<0xA0>6. In February, Syamsul summoned the Cilacap Regional Secretary (Sekda), Sadmoko Danardono, to his office, where he expressed a need for THR funds to be collected from the heads of Cilacap Regency’s regional apparatus organisations.
Following Syamsul’s request, Sadmoko summoned the Assistant for Government and People’s Welfare of the Cilacap Regional Secretariat, Subowo, along with two other assistants. “Subsequently, Sadmoko Danardono conveyed that the defendant required money to be provided as THR, amounting to approximately Rp500 million to Rp700 million,” the prosecutor stated during the reading of the indictment against Auliya.
In response to this request, Sadmoko instructed Subowo and others to coordinate with the heads of the regional apparatus organisations and communicate the amount of money to be deposited. “In response to this request, Subowo expressed his objection, asking, ‘Why must there be something like this?’, to which Sadmoko Danardono replied that this was a request from the defendant,” the prosecutor noted.
Funds were subsequently collected for Sadmoko. From this extortion, the total amount collected for deposit to Syamsul was Rp568 million. “The defendant, in his capacity as the Cilacap official, together with Sadmoko Danardono as the Cilacap Regional Secretary, abused his power by forcing several heads of regional apparatus organisations to provide money totalling Rp568 million, thereby enriching himself,” the prosecutor concluded.