KPK explains why parents of prospective students are not suspects in Unsoed rector case
Parents of prospective new students who paid money in the extortion and gratification case involving Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed) Rector Akhmad Sodiq have not been named as suspects. The KPK has provided an explanation.
KPK Acting Director of Investigation Achmad Taufik Husein said the extortion cluster in this case resembles a bribery incident. However, he said, the agency identified a power-authority relationship in the admission of prospective new students.
“The extortion element is indeed somewhat ambiguous compared to a bribery incident. But because there is a power and authority relationship, the key point is that the admissions system has those with authority, those who authorise,” Taufik said at a press conference at the KPK building in South Jakarta on Friday evening (21/8/2026).
“There was a system for providing approval codes or clicks. When that click is held by an authority with full power, this can lead to abuse of power,” he continued.
In the first cluster of the case, there was a demand for Rp 650 million from the parents of a prospective student at the 2026 Faculty of Medicine. Taufik said the parents then tried as hard as possible to provide the money with the intention of getting their child into the faculty.
“This abuse of power was then interpreted downwards, to staff, requested from parents, so that parents who had the intention of getting their child into Unsoed would try as hard as possible,” he said.
Based on that, Taufik said, parents did not have a strong position to be on the same level as the rector, who held authority over the prospective new student admissions system.
“So it was constructed as extortion because there was no effort that could balance or serve as a counterweight to the new student admissions system, whose authority was solely held by the rector at the university,” he said.
In the second cluster, related to gratification in the new student selection process worth Rp 680 million, Taufik said the KPK applied the gratification article because it found no criminal conspiracy by parents to get their children into Unsoed.
“In the second cluster, we constructed the charge under the gratification article, because if there is only a state official carrying out their state duties normally, and then because of an achievement perceived by the client — in this case the new student or parents who feel their child has passed — they express gratitude, the power relationship is actually only from the student’s side, from the parents, merely expressing thanks,” he said.
Meanwhile, the third cluster relates to the negotiation of a dowry of Rp 1.12 billion. Taufik said the second and third clusters fall under gratification because no agreement was found to secure admission of prospective students to Unsoed.
“That is why we constructed the gratification article specifically for the second and third clusters. Because there was no element of criminal conspiracy regarding an agreement on whether efforts could be made to get their children into Unsoed,” he said.
“So there was only a levy, and then when the student was declared to have passed, the parents expressed gratitude in the form of money,” he added.
In this case, the KPK has named six people as suspects. They are:
Akhmad Sodiq, Rector of Unsoed
Norman Arie Prayoga, Vice Rector III of Unsoed
Eko Sumanto, Head of Academic Affairs at Unsoed
Dian Mulia Wardhana, private party
Adhi Wiharto, private party
Mulyono, private party
The suspects are charged with violating Article 12 letter e or Article 12 B of the Corruption Eradication Law in conjunction with Article 20 letter (c) of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code.
The KPK found alleged corruption involving extortion and gratification in the new student admissions process through Unsoed’s independent pathway. There are three clusters in the case.
The first cluster involves extortion of Rp 650 million from the parents of one student for admission to the Unsoed Faculty of Medicine. The second cluster involves receipt of gratification in the new student selection process worth Rp 680 million.
The third cluster involves the collection of money from prospective new students with the knowledge of Akhmad Sodiq. The total money collected by intermediaries in this case is said to be Rp 1.12 billion.