Jokowi: The Fadia Arafiq Case Should Proceed Through the Legal System
Former Indonesian President Joko Widodo has responded to the arrest of Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq in an anticorruption operation (OTT) carried out by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). It is known that Fadia had previously met Jokowi before the 2024 regional elections. While speaking at his residence in Sumber, Banjarsari District, Solo, Central Java, on Friday, 6 March 2026, Jokowi did not deny that Fadia had visited his home. He stressed that the visit was solely to convey a wedding invitation for her children. ‘Yes, she came here to deliver wedding invitations for her children,’ Jokowi told reporters. The father of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka asserted that the matter currently entangling Fadia is entirely a legal matter. He asked all parties to respect the ongoing legal process. ‘If this is a legal matter, we should respect that the law must run its course,’ he said. Previously, the KPK conducted an OTT in Central Java on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. In the operation, investigators detained several people, including Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq. At least 11 people were brought to Jakarta for further questioning. After intensive questioning, the KPK named Fadia as a suspect in a case of alleged corruption in outsourcing services procurement within the Pekalongan Regency government. Investigators suspect irregular practices in the project that caused state losses. As part of the investigation, the KPK also sealed several rooms of officials within the Pekalongan Regency government. The sealing was conducted to safeguard documents and evidence related to the case. Separately, Fadia denied being involved in the OTT, claiming she was in Semarang meeting Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi at the time. Governor Ahmad Luthfi refuted the claim. As of now, the KPK continues to probe the case, questioning witnesses and tracing funds allegedly linked to the matter. The Fadia Arafiq case is one of the OTT operations carried out by the KPK in 2026 and is still being developed by investigators.