KPK sting on Pekalongan regent Ahmad Luthfi: A learning moment

Governor of Central Java Ahmad Luthfi has denied Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq’s claim that she was with him when she was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in a sting operation on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. The arrest formed part of a KPK sting operation targeting Fadia amid allegations of corruption. After being detained, Fadia said that before the arrest she had been with the Central Java Governor. Luthfi denied the assertion, saying, ‘I only found out on Tuesday morning from the media,’ in a written statement circulated by his media team on Thursday, 5 March 2026. However, Luthfi said he did meet Fadia the night before the arrest. He said the meeting took place after a breaking-of-fast gathering with members of the Ansor youth organisation. On that occasion, he also received reports from several regional leaders in Central Java. ‘That Monday night I had an iftar with friends from Ansor. After that Pekalongan Regent, Tegal Regent, and Purbalingga Vice Regent reported the progress of the MBG programme,’ Luthfi said. During the meeting, he said, Fadia also told him that she could not attend a coordination meeting with a minister scheduled for Tuesday. After the meeting ended, each party returned to their duties. Luthfi said he respected the ongoing investigation at the KPK related to the case against Fadia. He described the incident as a reminder for public officials to uphold integrity in carrying out their duties. ‘This is a learning moment for all public officials to uphold the principle of good governance,’ he said. He also said he had repeatedly reminded regional heads in Central Java to uphold integrity and avoid legal breaches. ‘We must create a clean bureaucracy by not breaking the law,’ he said. Pekalongan Regent Fadia A. Rafiq denied that she was caught in an OTT by the KPK on Tuesday early morning, 3 March 2026. Fadia said she was raided by the anti-corruption commission while meeting Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi. ‘So I was not involved in any OTT, not a single rupiah, by God there is none,’ Fadia told reporters as she was about to be taken to the KPK detention vehicle at the Merah Putih KPK Building, South Jakarta, on Wednesday, 4 March 2026. Fadia said her meeting with the Central Java Governor at the time discussed Pekalongan’s attendance at a free nutritious meals event, or MBG. Fadia also denied any discussions with Ahmad Luthfi regarding permissions for the procurement of goods and services. The KPK disclosed that Pekalongan Regent Fadia A. Rafiq was arrested while she was charging her electric car at a Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station (SPKLU) in Semarang, Central Java, on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. The anti-graft commission said it knew details such as the car type, licence plate, and even the location of Fadia before her arrest. ‘On arriving in Semarang it felt almost like luck; they sought her out and found the electric car being charged,’ said KPK Enforcement and Execution Deputy Asep Guntur Rahayu at the Merah Putih Building, KPK, South Jakarta, on Wednesday, 4 March 2026.