'Magic Letter' Used by Tulungagung Regent to Extort Tribute
Tulungagung Regent Gatut Sunu Wibowo (GSW) has been designated as a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in an alleged extortion case targeting 16 heads of regional apparatus organisations (OPD) or officials. It has been revealed that a ‘magic letter’ was used by Gatut to extort officials in the Tulungagung Regency government.
According to a detikcom summary on Monday (13/4/2026), the case began when Regent Gatut was caught in a KPK raid on Friday (10/4). A total of 18 people were secured, but only 13 were taken to Jakarta by the KPK on Saturday (11/4).
The 13 individuals taken to Jakarta included Regent Gatut Sunu and his brother, Jatmiko Dwijo Saputro, a member of the Tulungagung Regency DPRD. Jatmiko was also brought to Jakarta as he was at the same location as Regent Gatut during the KPK raid.
After undergoing examination, the KPK named Regent Gatut as a suspect and immediately detained him in a detention centre. In addition to Regent Gatut, his aide, Dwi Yoga Ambal (YOG), was also named as a suspect.
Further KPK examinations revealed that the OPD heads were summoned one by one by Regent Gatut after their inauguration. They were asked to sign two agreements.
Two ‘Magic Letters’ from the Tulungagung Regent
The case originated after GSW inaugurated several OPD heads within the Tulungagung Regency government in December 2025. These officials were called one by one to sign an agreement letter.
‘This is related to the inauguration of the OPD officials. After the inauguration, Mr GSW asked the officials to sign a statement of resignation from their position and from civil service if they were unable to carry out the tasks and responsibilities given. So, shortly after being inaugurated, they were called one by one,’ said KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution, Asep Guntur Rahayu, during a press conference in Jakarta on Saturday (12/4/2026).
In the letter provided, it already contained a statement that the OPD head would resign from the position and civil service if unable to carry out tasks and responsibilities. The letter was stamped with fiscal marks, but the date column was left blank.
Additionally, Gatut Sunu handed over a letter of absolute responsibility for budget management in each work unit. Copies of the resignation letters from the OPD heads were not provided by GSW.
‘Additionally, several other officials were also asked to sign a statement of responsibility for budget management in their respective work units. So there is absolute responsibility, where the person is fully responsible for any budget management that occurs, and they will be fully accountable. They were asked to sign that,’ said Asep.
‘So there are two letters. The resignation from position and resignation from civil service is one letter, although the content covers two aspects. Then the absolute responsibility is one letter,’ he added.
OPD Heads Banned from Bringing Mobile Phones
Asep said the OPD heads were called to a special room to sign the two letters. The officials were prohibited from bringing mobile phones, making it difficult to secure evidence.
‘The statement of resignation from position and resignation from civil service was deliberately undated and no copies were given to the officials. So they were called to a special room, where his aide was present, and asked to sign. As mentioned earlier, the officials were not allowed to bring mobile phones, so there was no opportunity to take photos or anything like that,’ he said.
Setting a Rp 5 Billion Target
The KPK revealed that Regent Gatut set an extortion target of up to Rp 5 billion. However, until he was caught, Regent Gatut only managed to collect Rp 2.7 billion.
‘From the total demand by GSW to the OPDs, at least Rp 5 billion, the realised money received by GSW is approximately Rp 2.7 billion,’ Asep disclosed.
Asep stated that at least 16 department heads in the Tulungagung Regency government were asked for money quotas. The amounts demanded ranged from Rp 15 million to Rp 2.8 billion.
Aide Collects Money from OPDs
Gatut is said to have instructed his aide to continuously collect quotas from OPDs that had not yet paid the demanded amounts. The aide played a role in collecting up to gathering the quotas.
Asep revealed that the extortion had been ongoing since December 2025. The extorted officials admitted to being extremely distressed by Gatut’s actions.
‘So until now, it’s only about four months. So far, they have reached the stage of extreme distress. Extremely distressed with what was conveyed or the practices carried out by Mr GSW. In the end, they couldn’t do anything because they were locked by those letters,’ said Asep.
Modus by Showing ‘Magic Letter’ to the Public
In carrying out the extortion, said Asep, Gatut used a new modus by threatening to show the ‘magic letter’ to the public, where its contents suggested that the OPD heads were resigning. Not only as OPD heads, but also their positions as civil servants.
‘If they refuse, they could be dismissed or resign on that very day. So if that is issued or the letter is shown to the public or audience as if they themselves resigned as OPD heads, officials, and also as civil servants,’ said Asep.
‘This is sudden, not only as OPD heads, but resigning as civil servants too. So the threat used to bind them is actually very heavy. They were already at the point of distress,’ he added.
Aide Arranges Budget Usage
Here, the role of Gatut’s aide, Dwi, was very crucial. Besides collecting quotas from OPD heads, he also arranged budget usage.
‘So in this incident, without the role of YOG, the criminal act by GSW could not have been realised. Because he was the one from the beginning calling the OPD heads to sign the letter, up to recording every part considered as debt, the money part. So whenever the regent or the suspect regent mentioned, for example, an additional Rp 2 billion in PUPR, then Rp 1 billion of that would be recorded as debt from the PUPR department head to GSW,’ he said.
The KPK described the modus as a new method of corruption in local governance.