KPK: Rejang Lebong Regent Sought Project Fee for Eid Needs, Including Holiday Allowance

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) stated that Rejang Lebong Regent Muhammad Fikri Thobari requested project kickbacks from private contractors to cover personal expenses ahead of Eid.

“This fee was linked to his personal needs. There were various matters, preparations for Eid, and so on,” said Asep Guntur Rahayu, KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution, during a press conference at the Red and White Building in Jakarta on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.

Asep noted that the regional head had a practice of providing employee holiday allowances (THR) as a leader, which became one of the burdens on Fikri.

The KPK previously designated Rejang Lebong Regent Muhammad Fikri Thobari as a suspect in an alleged project kickback bribery case at Rejang Lebong Regency for the 2025-2026 period on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

In addition to the regent, the KPK designated four others as suspects: Public Works Department Head Hary Eko Purnomo, Irsyad Satria Budiman from PT Statika Mitra Sarana, Edi Manggala from CV Manggala Utama, and Youki Yudiantoro from CV Alpagker Abadi.

The case originated in early 2026 when several physical construction projects were underway at the Public Works, Spatial Planning, Housing and Residential Areas Department (PUPRPKP) in Rejang Lebong Regency, with total departmental budget reaching 91.13 billion rupiah.

In February 2026, Rejang Lebong Regent Fikri, Public Works Department Head Hary Eko Purnomo, and a private party named B Daditama held a meeting at the regent’s official residence. “In that meeting, there was allegedly discussion regarding project contractor arrangement or allocation for PUPRPKP works under the 2026 budget, including discussion on fee amounts (kickbacks) of approximately 10-15 per cent of project values,” Asep stated.

He noted that the fee request was intended to meet Fikri’s Eid expenses. “Subsequently, Fikri sent a message via chat to B Daditama regarding requests for fees (kickbacks) from contractors appointed by the regent, allegedly due to needs approaching Eid celebrations,” he explained.

Asep stated that during the course of events, a meeting of mind (mens rea) or agreement occurred between Regent Fikri and Public Works Department Head Hary Eko with contractors for project work packages at the PUPRPKP of Rejang Lebong Regency.

He noted that following the direct appointment, there was allegedly an initial handover of fees (kickbacks) in cash from three contractors to Regent Fikri through intermediaries, totalling 980 million rupiah.