Kuansing Regent Ensnared in Job Auction and Forest Area Release Bribery Scandal

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has stated that the Regent of Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing), Suhardiman Amby, is suspected of receiving bribes and/or gratuities related to the filling of a government post and the release of a Limited Production Forest (HPT) area. Suhardiman and two other individuals have now been named as suspects and are being detained for an initial 20-day period from 1 July to 20 July 2026 at the Merah Putih Building branch of the State Detention Centre. The other two suspects are Kuansing Regional Secretary Zulkarnain and the President Director of PT Mitra Ideal Consultant, Ardiles. Suhardiman, as the alleged recipient, is charged under Article 12 letter a or letter b and/or Article 12 B of the Corruption Eradication Law. Meanwhile, Zulkarnain and Ardiles, as the alleged givers, are charged under Article 605 or Article 606 paragraph (1) of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code in conjunction with Law Number 1 of 2026 concerning Criminal Adjustments in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of the Criminal Code. The KPK received a public complaint regarding alleged corruption in the filling of positions within the Kuansing Regency Government. In April 2025, the Kuansing administration opened a selection process for the position of Regional Secretary. There were two candidates: Fahdiansyah, the Assistant I who was also serving as Acting Regional Secretary, and Zulkarnain, the Head of the Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency. The Acting Director of Investigation at the KPK, Achmad Taufik Husein, stated that Regent Suhardiman Amby then ‘requested’ a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR-S SUV as a condition from the candidates participating in the selection process. Only Zulkarnain agreed to the demand and was subsequently selected as Regional Secretary for the 2025 period. To fulfil the request, Zulkarnain purchased the vehicle for IDR 2.05 billion at a showroom in the Greater Jakarta area, financing it through a credit scheme with monthly instalments of IDR 46.5 million over a five-year tenor. Because Zulkarnain’s financial profile did not meet the requirements for such a large loan, he used the identity of Ardiles, the Director of PT Mitra Ideal Consultant, to apply for the credit. The KPK further revealed that Zulkarnain had previously allegedly provided a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Dakar worth IDR 700 million to the acting regent during the selection for the Head of the Public Works Agency in 2021, a purchase also facilitated through credit by Ardiles. Ardiles allegedly assisted Zulkarnain to secure project packages within the Kuansing Regency Government, subsequently winning 13 projects at the Public Works Agency in the 2022 fiscal year with a total value of IDR 1.2 billion, and additional projects in 2025 and 2026 worth over IDR 966 million. The KPK noted an escalation in the value of the bribes, from the Pajero Sport to the Land Cruiser. The credit scheme used for the vehicle purchases was also seen as a mechanism to ensure Zulkarnain’s position remained secure throughout the loan period. The KPK also uncovered alleged additional receipts by Suhardiman related to the release of a Limited Production Forest area. While the authority for forest release lies with the Ministry of Forestry, the regional government provides technical and spatial planning recommendations. The KPK suspects that the money demanded by Suhardiman came from the business surplus of a local cooperative unit, effectively taking half the income of farmers who earn only hundreds of thousands of rupiah per month. The KPK is continuing to investigate this matter, including whether the funds flowed to other parties.