KPK Uncovers SGD 2,000 Discrepancy in Envelope from Kuansing Regent to Forestry Minister
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) suspects there is a discrepancy in the amount of money in an envelope given by Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing) Regent Suhardiman Amby and the amount returned by Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni. The difference amounts to 2,000 Singapore dollars (SGD).
“Regarding the Forestry Minister’s receipt, we have indeed found 14,000 [Singapore dollars], but then there was a difference in the amount; 12,000 was what we seized,” said KPK Acting Director of Investigation Achmad Taufik Husein on Monday (10/8/2026).
The total of SGD 14,000 was discovered by the KPK during the investigation process when examining hundreds of farmers who are members of the Village Unit Cooperative (KUD) in Kuansing. Regent Suhardiman allegedly requested money from deductions of the farmers’ business surplus (SHU) to cover the costs of processing the release of Limited Production Forest areas.
The money was then converted into Singapore dollars and given to the Forestry Minister during an audience with Regent Suhardiman on 2 June 2026. The Forestry Minister acknowledged the envelope, which he said was left in his office in a closed folder.
“I did not know what was inside, but I felt I had no right to the envelope and I asked my aide to return it,” the Forestry Minister said some time ago.
The return process, according to the Forestry Minister, was carried out with the assistance of the Kuansing Police on 12 June 2026, or 17 days before Regent Suhardiman was caught in a KPK sting operation. Later, on 3 July 2026, the Forestry Minister reported the return of the envelope to the KPK as a form of compliance with gratuity reporting, but the KPK rejected the report because it was deemed to have already entered the investigation stage.
So where did the KPK find the envelope?
The envelope was found when KPK investigators conducted a search of the Kuansing Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) Speaker named Juprizal. The KPK has not yet provided a detailed explanation of how the envelope ended up with Juprizal.
However, the contents of the envelope were not SGD 14,000 as stated by the farmers, but only SGD 12,000. The KPK is still tracing the remaining SGD 2,000 that is believed to have been in the envelope.
“There are actually still many things that investigators need to explore further, including what was asked earlier. Who placed the envelope, what the meetings were like, we will wait for developments as it is still ongoing. The team is also still in the field to confirm both the meetings and the amounts in the envelopes,” said KPK Acting Director of Investigation Achmad Taufik Husein.
Regent Suhardiman himself has been named a bribery suspect. Suhardiman is alleged to have accepted a bribe of a Toyota Land Cruiser worth Rp 2 billion to appoint Zulkarnain as Regional Secretary.
The KPK also revealed that Suhardiman had previously received a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport from Zulkarnain while still serving as Acting Regent. Suhardiman became Acting Regent of Kuansing after Andi Putra, who served as Regent, was caught in a sting operation in 2021.
A total of three people have been named as suspects. The list is as follows:
Suhardiman Amby as Kuansing Regent
Zulkarnain as Kuansing Regional Secretary
Ardiles as President Director of PT MIC.
The KPK stated there are allegations of other receipts by Suhardiman. The KPK suspects Suhardiman received money from a number of Village Unit Cooperatives (KUD) whose members are farmers to process forest land conversion. The conversion permit itself lies with the Ministry of Forestry, while the regional government has authority over technical recommendations.