Riau Governor Charged with Extortion or Gratuity of Rp3.5 Billion

Riau Governor for the 2025-2030 period, Abdul Wahid, has been charged with committing extortion or receiving gratuities amounting to Rp3,550,000,000 (Rp3.55 billion).

The criminal act was carried out jointly with the Head of the Public Works and Spatial Planning, Housing, Settlement Areas, and Land Department (Kadis PUPRPKPP) of Riau Province, Muh. Arief Setiawan, Expert Staff to the Governor in the Regional Development Planning and Development Agency (Bappeda) Dani M. Nursalam, and Marjani as Abdul Wahid’s aide. They are being prosecuted in separate case files.

This is contained in the indictment letter read by the Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the KPK during a trial held in the Prof R Soebakti room of the Corruption Court (Tipikor) at the Pekanbaru District Court (PN), on Thursday (27/3).

The JPU team consists of seven people, namely Dian Budiman Abdul Karib, Irwan Ashadi, Tonny Frengky Pangaribuan, Diky Wahyu Ariyanto, Meyer Volmar Simanjuntak, Erlangga Jayanegara, and Muhammad Hadi.

The case is presided over by Delta Tamtama, who is the Deputy Chief of the PN Pekanbaru, along with two member judges, Aziz Muslim and Dr Edy Darma Putra.

“Jointly committing acts by a civil servant or state official, with the intent to unlawfully benefit oneself or others or by abusing authority,” stated the KPK prosecutor.

The prosecutor stated that Abdul Wahid and associates forced the Heads of the UPT Roads and Bridges Regions I-VI of the Riau Province PUPRPKPP Department, namely Khairil Anwar, Ardi Irfandi, Eri Ikhsan, Ludfi Hardi, Basharuddin, and Rio Andriadi Putra, to provide money amounting to Rp1,800,000,000 (Rp1.8 billion), Rp1,000,000,000 (Rp1 billion), and Rp750,000,000 (Rp750 million).

“Thus, the total amounts to Rp3,550,000,000,” said the prosecutor.

The criminal act began shortly after being inaugurated as Riau Governor on 31 January 2025, when Abdul Wahid placed several trusted individuals in positions within the Riau Provincial Government.

Among them, he placed Dani M. Nursalam as Expert Staff to the Governor in Development Planning. Dani was previously a staff member and trusted aide of Abdul Wahid when he was still a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI).

In addition to serving as an expert, Abdul Wahid also tasked Dani with coordinating with Muh. Arief Setiawan as Head of PUPRPKPP for any unofficial needs outside official duties that required money.

Abdul Wahid also appointed his trusted associate, Marjani, as his aide or personal bodyguard on 20 February 2025.

In March 2025, Arief ordered all Heads of UPT and Heads of Fields (Kabid) in the Riau Province PUPRPKPP Department to conduct surveys and prepare needs plans to be proposed in the third budget reallocation proposal for the 2025 fiscal year.

Based on the survey results from each UPT and field, Ferry Yunanda as Secretary of the Riau Province PUPRPKPP Department, assisted by planning staff, prepared and compiled the budget reallocation proposal submission categorised as deferred payments.

Before the third fiscal year 2025 budget reallocation proposal was submitted, Arief, through the “PUPRPKPP 2025” WhatsApp group, requested that the Head of the Road Infrastructure Field and Heads of UPT Roads and Bridges Regions I to VI prepare data on damaged roads and plans to be presented to Abdul Wahid on Tuesday, 8 April 2025.

On 7 April, Abdul Wahid requested that Arief gather all Heads of UPT Roads and Bridges for a meeting at the governor’s official residence.

This request was followed up by Arief, so all Heads of UPT attended the meeting except Basharuddin alias Ibas, Head of UPT V.

“In that meeting, all communication devices of the attending participants were collected so that participants could not document the activity,” stated the prosecutor.

“Then the defendant gave directions that all Civil Servants (ASN) in the Riau Province PUPRPKPP Department must obey the defendant by stating ‘THERE IS ONLY ONE SUN’,” continued the prosecutor.

Abdul Wahid is also said to have instructed all ASN in the PUPRPKPP Department to obey all orders from Arief by stating “Everyone must follow the department head’s orders. Follow the department head’s words. If the department head says change, I will change. If you do not follow the department head’s orders, I will evaluate. If the department head reports to me that you do not follow his orders, I will replace you immediately.”

After the meeting with Abdul Wahid, Arief submitted Letter No: 900.1/PUPRPKPP/SEKRE/1169 dated 15 April 2025 regarding the Third Reallocation Proposal for 2025 of the PUPRPKPP Department to the Head of the Regional Government Budget Team (TAPD).

After discussion by the TAPD, Abdul Wahid then signed Governor Regulation No. 21 of 2025 dated 22 April 2025 regarding the Third Reallocation for 2025, which included an addition to the budget for all UPT in the PUPRPKPP Department for infrastructure activities of road and bridge maintenance, irrigation, amounting to Rp234,000,000,000 (Rp234 billion), and for deferred payments of Rp37,000,000,000 (Rp37 billion).

“After the defendant approved the budget reallocation, the defendant asked Dani M. Nursalam to convey to Muh. Arief Setiawan that the Heads of UPT Roads and Bridges Regions in the Riau Province PUPRPKPP Department should provide fee payments to the defendant,” revealed the KPK prosecutor.

In short, despite reluctance, the Heads of UPT provided the fee payments due to threats of transfer or dismissal from Abdul Wahid. From a demand of Rp7,000,000,000 (Rp7 billion), the money handed over amounted to Rp3.55 billion.

For their actions, Abdul Wahid is charged with violating Article 12 letter e or Article 12 letter f or Article 12 B in conjunction with Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law (UU Tipikor) in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code (KUHP).