The Trail of a Rp2 Billion Land Cruiser Behind the Kuansing Regent Bribery Case

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has located a Toyota Land Cruiser that was allegedly hidden by Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing) Regent for the 2025-2030 period, Suhardiman Amby. Acting Director of KPK Investigations, Achmad Taufik Husein, stated that his team had been searching for the vehicle during a sting operation on 29 June. Taufik said the vehicle is a crucial part of proving the alleged bribery case related to positions within the Kuansing Regency Government that has implicated Suhardiman. “The LC, the Toyota Land Cruiser, has not yet been seized because it was only found recently, last night,” Taufik said during a press conference at his office in Jakarta on Wednesday (1/7). Taufik stated that the vehicle will be seized as the investigation progresses. Currently, the evidence is being held at the Riau Regional Police. “So, it will be seized later in the future investigation process. But the unit itself has already been secured at the Riau Regional Police. As for the mechanism regarding the fact that it is not yet fully paid off and so on, that is indeed a consideration for the investigative team; there was a third party with good intentions whom we will clarify,” he added. The KPK has named Suhardiman, Regional Secretary Zulkarnain, and the Director of PT Mitra Ideal Consultant (MIC), Ardiles, as suspects in the alleged bribery case for the Regional Secretary position. The KPK explained that in April 2025, the Kuansing Regency Government opened a job auction for the position. There were two candidates: Fahdiansyah, the Assistant I of the Kuansing Regency Government who was also serving as Acting Regional Secretary at the time, and Zulkarnain, who was the Head of the Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency. Taufik stated that Suhardiman ‘requested a condition’ of a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR-S SUV from the parties or candidates participating in the Kuansing Regional Secretary selection process. Ultimately, only Zulkarnain agreed to the demand, and he was subsequently selected as the Kuansing Regional Secretary for the 2025 period. “To fulfil the request, ZKN [Zulkarnain] then purchased one Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR-S SUV worth Rp2.05 billion at a showroom located in the Greater Jakarta area,” Taufik stated. “The purchase was made on credit or in instalments of Rp46.5 million per month, with a 5-year tenor,” he added. Because his financial profile did not meet the requirements to apply for such a large loan, Zulkarnain used the identity of Ardiles, the Director of PT Mitra Ideal Consultant, for the credit application process. Previously, Taufik explained, Zulkarnain allegedly also gave a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Dakar worth Rp700 million to the Acting Regent during the filling of the Head of the Public Works Agency position in Kuansing in 2021. The purchase of that vehicle was also made on credit, facilitated by Ardiles. The KPK suspects Ardiles helped Zulkarnain to continuously secure project work packages within the Kuansing Regency Government. “Among them, ARD [Ardiles] subsequently won 13 projects at the Public Works Agency in the 2022 Fiscal Year with a total value reaching Rp1.2 billion,” Taufik said. Furthermore, Ardiles again won projects in several agencies and the Kuansing regional secretariat in 2025 and 2026 worth more than Rp966 million. Suhardiman is also suspected of receiving other gratuities related to the release of a Limited Production Forest area. The KPK will investigate this matter further, including the alleged flow of funds to parties within the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry.