Pekalongan Regent Corruption Trial: Witness Says Holiday Bonus Money from Agency Heads Was a Tradition

The trial of the alleged corruption case involving suspended Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq has revealed surprising facts about the flow of funds from regional officials. A witness stated that the provision of money from heads of Regional Apparatus Organisations (OPD) for the regent’s Holiday Allowance (THR) needs had become a tradition within the Pekalongan Regency Government.

This was conveyed by the Sub-coordinator for Leadership Communication of the Pekalongan Regency Government, Robby Darussalam, while giving testimony at the Semarang Corruption Court on Friday (21/8). Robby stated that this practice was not new and had been ongoing before Fadia’s leadership.

“The giving from agency heads to the regent has been a tradition since the previous regent,” Robby told the panel of judges.

Robby, who once served as an aide to the previous Pekalongan Regent, Asip Kholbihi, admitted to knowing about this custom since Asip’s administration. According to him, the deposit of money from agency heads for THR and year-end purposes continued into the following period.

Although acknowledging the tradition existed, Robby denied that he ever received money entrusted by OPD heads during Fadia Arafiq’s tenure. This testimony contradicted the official examination reports of several agency heads read out by the public prosecutor.

During the trial, the names of several officials who claimed to have entrusted money for Regent Fadia through Robby were revealed.

Upon hearing the witness’s denial, Presiding Judge Rightmen Situmorang issued a stern warning. The judge reminded Robby that he had been sworn in and that there were legal consequences for providing false testimony.

Robby explained that the THR money and year-end funds collected were used by Regent Fadia for social activities, namely distributed to the public in the form of gift parcels and basic food packages.

In line with the witness, defendant Fadia Arafiq, who was present at the trial, also confirmed that the giving of money from agency heads was a tradition passed down from the previous administration. Fadia stressed that the funds did not go into her personal pocket.

“No money from the agency heads was used for personal interests. The money was used to buy gift parcels which were then distributed to the public,” Fadia asserted.