The Matter Ensnaring Cilacap Regent Caught Red-Handed by the KPK
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has announced a sting operation (OTT) that has arrested Cilacap Regent Syamsul Auliya Rachman and 26 others in relation to alleged receipt of payments from projects in the region.
“It is alleged that the Regent received payments related to projects in Cilacap District, Central Java,” said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo at the KPK Red and White Building in Jakarta on Friday.
Budi further stated that the KPK is currently examining the Cilacap Regent and 26 others before determining their legal status. The KPK has 24 hours to determine the status of those arrested in the sting operation, including the Cilacap Regent who is a regional head in Central Java Province, in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure (KUHAP).
This operation marks part of an intensified anti-corruption campaign by the KPK throughout 2026. The first sting operation occurred on 9-10 January 2026, when eight people were arrested in connection with alleged bribery in tax inspections at the Jakarta North Tax Service Office of the Ministry of Finance for the 2021-2026 period.
The second operation on 19 January 2026 targeted Madiun Mayor Maidi. The KPK announced on 20 January 2026 that Maidi was named a suspect in alleged corruption involving extortion with a project and CSR fund scheme, as well as other payments or gratification within the Madiun City Government, East Java.
On the same date, 19 January 2026, the KPK conducted a third sting operation and arrested Pati Regent Sudewo. On 20 January 2026, the KPK announced Sudewo as a suspect in alleged extortion related to the appointment of village officials in Pati District Government, Central Java.
The fourth operation occurred on 4 February 2026 at the Banjarmasin Middle Tax Service Office in South Kalimantan, related to tax restitution processes.
On 4 February 2026, the KPK announced the fifth sting operation related to the importation of counterfeit goods. Among those arrested was former Director of Enforcement and Investigation at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise Rizal, who was serving as Head of the West Sumatra Regional Customs Office.
The sixth sting operation was announced on 5 February 2026, concerning alleged corruption in land dispute proceedings involving 6,500 square metres at the Depok State Court, West Java. The KPK named the Head of Depok State Court I Wayan Eka Mariarta, Deputy Head of Depok State Court Bambang Setyawan, and the Director of PT Karabha Digdaya, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Finance, as suspects.
The seventh operation was announced on 3 March 2026 during Ramadan. The KPK named Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq as a sole suspect in alleged corruption related to the procurement of outsourcing services and other supplies in Pekalongan District Government, Central Java, for the 2023-2026 financial year.
The eighth sting operation, also during Ramadan on 10 March 2026, saw the KPK arrest and name Rejang Lebong Regent Muhammad Fikri Thobari as a suspect in alleged project bribery in Rejang Lebong District Government, Bengkulu, for the 2025-2026 financial year.
The ninth sting operation on 13 March 2026, during Ramadan, resulted in the KPK announcing the arrest of Cilacap Regent Syamsul Auliya Rachman and 26 others.
Following the Cilacap sting operation, officials of Cilacap District Government, including Regent Syamsul Auliya Rachman and other officials, were questioned at the Criminal Investigation Division of Banyumas Police. A total of 27 individuals were subjected to intensive questioning and cash was seized by the KPK. However, detailed information about the amount seized in rupiah could not be disclosed as the count was still ongoing.