KPK Targets New Suspects in Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq Corruption Case
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is seeking further evidence to name new suspects in a case of alleged corruption over a tender project involving Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq. To date, only Fadia Arafiq has been named as a suspect.
Arafiq is accused of using a modus operandi that involved companies affiliated with her family in the tender project handled by the Pekalongan regional government. Deputy for Enforcement and Prosecution Asep Guntur Rahayu, speaking at the KPK’s Red-and-White Building in South Jakarta on Thursday (5 March), said investigators are careful about naming suspects and that there is a time limit: 1x24 hours after arrest for related actions.
“We will provide time for investigators to complete statements and evidence so that the evidence is sufficient before we determine a suspect,” Asep said. At present, Arafiq remains the only suspect and is detained in KPK custody in Jakarta for 20 days.
Arafiq is alleged to have pressured department heads to ensure her family-owned company, PT RNB, would win the outsourcing services tender in Pekalongan Regency. The family business secured tenders and won projects despite other companies offering cheaper bids.
According to the investigation, each village apparatus was asked by the Regent to submit their own estimated price (Harga Perkiraan Sendiri, HPS) to PT RNB up front. The family company would then adjust the bid values to align with these figures. PT RNB has already secured projects from 17 regional devices, three RSUDs (regional public hospitals), and one sub-district, with revenue estimated at around Rp46 billion from 2023 to 2026.
The KPK has disclosed the case as evidence that graft modus operandi in Indonesia is becoming increasingly complex. It also noted the need for caution in the public reporting and how flow of money within the case is being traced.
In another development, the KPK reminded entertainers who enter politics to learn governance, in response to Fadia Arafiq’s claim that she did not understand the law due to her background as a dangdut singer.
The commission also disclosed that the husband and child of Fadia Arafiq are implicated in having received money from the alleged criminal activity. The KPK noted that staff around the Pekalongan Regent regularly documented withdrawals linked to the case via WhatsApp groups.