KPK Reveals Sukoharjo Regent Threatened to Transfer Subordinates Who Refused to Pay Up

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has revealed the methods used by Sukoharjo Regent Etik Suryani (ETS) to extort her subordinates. In addition to using official decrees (SK) she issued, Etik also threatened to transfer staff if they did not provide money. “Several witnesses, who are regional heads or heads of OPD, stated that if they did not fulfil the regent’s wishes or meet the targets for these payments, they would be transferred,” said KPK Acting Director of Investigations Achmad Taufik Husein during a press conference at the KPK’s Merah Putih building in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Saturday (11/7/2026). Taufik said investigators would further probe the alleged receipt of other payments by Etik. This suspected additional income relates to the filling of positions. “Now, whether there are other payments besides these levies, such as bribery for positions, will be investigated further in the subsequent inquiry,” Taufik explained. Etik Suryani was previously named a suspect by the KPK in a case of extortion against her subordinates. The KPK revealed that Etik received Rp 2.9 billion from extorting her staff. The KPK disclosed that she used two decrees related to the Sukoharjo Regency Regional Financial, Revenue and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD) for the year 2026. The two decrees are the Regent’s Decree on the Receipt and Amount of Regional Tax Collection Incentive Payments and the Regent’s Decree on the Receipt and Amount of Regional Levy Collection Incentive Payments. “The issuance of these two Regent’s Decrees was allegedly used as a ‘tool’ by ETS to carry out extortion of ‘Collection Fee Payments (UP)’ within the Sukoharjo BPKAD,” explained KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu. Asep stated that in the process of extorting her subordinates using these two decrees, Etik relied on the Head of the Sukoharjo Regency BPKAD, Richard Tri Handoko (RCH), to collect incentives from employees. Etik asked Richard to collect 40 per cent of the incentives received by each employee. “ETS asked Mr RCH, as Head of the Sukoharjo Regency BPKAD, to collect around 40 per cent of the incentives received by a number of employees at BPKAD,” Asep stated. Richard, Asep said, then followed up on Etik’s order. Richard instructed the echelon III officials within BPKAD to deposit the deducted collection fees to Nardi (ND), the Secretary of the Sukoharjo Regency BPKAD for the 2021-2026 period, who then passed them on to Etik. Furthermore, during the process, Etik also allegedly ordered Tri Mulyo (TRM), the Head of the General Affairs Division of the Sukoharjo Regency Regional Secretariat, to manage the ‘OPD Routine Payments’. “On ETS’s orders, TRM collected payments from the OPDs annually and during the holiday bonus (THR) period. In addition, TRM also allegedly provided payments derived from fictitious expenditure receipts and procurement mark-ups within the General Affairs Division of the Sukoharjo Regency Government,” Asep detailed. Asep stated that during the 2024-2026 period, Etik received Rp 840 million from the ‘OPD routine payments’ collected by TRM. The breakdown was Rp 245 million in 2024, Rp 350 million in 2025, and Rp 245 million in 2026. Meanwhile, the money collected by RCH from 2022 to 2024 from these OPD payments reached Rp 1.2 billion. “During the 2021-2026 period, it is known that the total collection fee payments received by ETS reached Rp 2.93 billion. ETS used these proceeds for personal interests, among other things,” Asep said. The three individuals named as suspects by the KPK are: 1. Sukoharjo Regent Etik Suryani; 2. Head of the Sukoharjo Regency Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD), Richard Tri Handoko; 3. Head of the General Affairs Division of the Sukoharjo Regency Regional Secretariat, Tri Mulyo. The three are charged under Article 12 letter e or Article 12 letter f and Article 12B of Law Number 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001.