Lucky Break for the KPK as Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq's Electric Car Runs Out of Charge
Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq was caught in an operation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). The KPK team nearly lost track of Fadia, but was traced again through an unintended moment.
In a press briefing at the KPK building in South Jakarta on Wednesday (4 March 2026), KPK Deputy for Enforcement Asep Guntur Rahayu said the KPK initially searched for Fadia in Pekalongan. The search continued until the team moved to Semarang.
‘After Pekalongan, the team moved to Semarang. They almost lost contact with the person,’ Asep said.
Asep disclosed there was a stroke of luck in the operation. The Regent of Pekalongan was found while she was charging her electric car. The make of the car and the plates had already been identified by the KPK.
‘When we got to Semarang, it was somewhat of a stroke of luck; the electric car was there being charged. That is when we found her,’ he said.
Fadia was arrested in Semarang on Tuesday (3 March) at dawn. She was taken to Jakarta for questioning.
In the OTT, the KPK also seized five vehicles from various parties. The five cars were Wuling Air EV, Mitsubishi Xpander, Toyota Camry, Toyota Fortuner, and Toyota Vellfire.
Case against the Regent
The results of the case filing established Fadia as a suspect in relation to outsourcing services procurement and other procurements within the Pekalongan Regency government. The KPK says Fadia intentionally and pressured her family-owned company or ‘ibu’ company to win tender projects in Pekalongan.
This action was warned by the Secretary to the Regional Government (Sekda) and subordinates, relations within the Pekalongan government; the advice was not heeded; Fadia continued to name her family company as tender winner.
‘The Secretary of the Regional Government and several others repeatedly warned the Regent about potential conflicts of interest in the procurement,’ Asep said.
After a year in office, her husband and son established PT Raja Nusantara Berjaya (RNB). Fadia became the final beneficiary (BO) of the company.
The company also hosted Fadia’s campaign team. She asked regional bodies to grant the contracts to that company.
KPK says PT RNB won outsourcing projects in 17 regional devices, three regional hospitals, and one district in 2025. Asep said PT RNB received Rp 46 billion in contracts with the Pekalongan Regency from 2023-2026.
‘From that amount, only Rp 22 billion was used to pay outsourcing staff salaries; the remainder was taken for personal gain and distributed to Fadia’s family amounting to Rp 19 billion in total,’ he said.
KPK stressed that investigators have sufficient evidence in this case. Asep said the case shows conflicts of interest in procurement.
‘Section 12(i) of the Corruption Eradication Law paints a picture of conflicts of interest and abuse of power, intended to prevent conflicts of interest; officials use their posts to obtain personal gains,’ he said.
Fadia has been named a suspect and is detained by the KPK. She faces charges under Section 12(i) and Section 12B of the Corruption Eradication Law coupled with Section 127(1) of the Indonesian Penal Code (as amended by Law No. 1 of 2023).
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