KPK: Regent of Rejang Lebong gave coded signals for project winners before demanding money
Jakarta — Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) has stated that Regent Muhammad Fikri Thobari of Rejang Lebong provided specific coded signals to mark project winners at the Public Works, Spatial Planning, Housing and Settlement Area Office (PUPRPKP) of Rejang Lebong before subsequently requesting money in exchange for those wins.
“Thobari wrote specific letter codes on a Physical Work Summary sheet, which represented contractor initials. Essentially, it was one sheet containing project names and details, then marked with initials of the person or vendor who would carry out the work,” said Asep Guntur Rahayu, Deputy for Prosecution and Execution at KPK headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Rahayu stated that Thobari then sent this sheet to his trusted associate with initials BDA via instant messaging application WhatsApp.
“So BDA would then contact the various vendors or contractors,” he explained.
The bribe amount in exchange for project wins was set at 10–15 per cent of the value of PUPRPKP projects for the 2026 financial year. The PUPRPKP office’s budget for this year is reported to be 91.13 billion rupiah.
Previously, on 9 March 2026, the KPK arrested Regent Muhammad Fikri Thobari of Rejang Lebong, Vice Regent Hendri, and 11 others during a dawn raid operation related to alleged bribery of projects within the Rejang Lebong District Government in Bengkulu Province.
On 10 March 2026, the KPK transported the Regent and Vice Regent of Rejang Lebong along with seven others to Jakarta for intensive questioning.
On the same date, the KPK also announced Muhammad Fikri Thobari as one of five suspects in the alleged corruption case involving bribery.
The KPK announced the identity of the suspects on 11 March 2025: Muhammad Fikri Thobari (MFT), Head of the Public Works, Spatial Planning, Housing and Settlement Area Office of Rejang Lebong Hary Eko Purnomo (HEP), Irsyad Satria Budiman (IRS) as a private party from PT Statika Mitra Sarana, Edi Manggala (EDM) as a private party from CV Manggala Utama, and Youki Yusdiantoro (YK) as a private party from CV Alpagker Abadi.
They face charges of alleged bribery for project advantages within the Rejang Lebong District Government, Bengkulu Province, for the 2025–2026 financial year.