Three Schemes of Rector Sodiq, Corruption Loopholes in State University Independent Admissions, and the Fate of Cheating Unsoed Students

The Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) sting operation against Rector of Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed) Prof. Akhmad Sodiq and his subordinates has lifted the lid on the buying and selling of seats in favoured departments or faculties to prospective new students. During Akhmad Sodiq’s leadership as Rector of Unsoed for the 2025–2026 period, at least three fraudulent schemes to enter the state university through illegal channels were uncovered.

The first scheme was the buying and selling of seats in the Faculty of Medicine and a sham project scheme by Vice Rector Norman Arie Prayogo. Through two intermediaries, Dian and Adhi, he allegedly demanded hundreds of millions of rupiah from the parents of prospective students so that they could be accepted into the Faculty of Medicine at Unsoed. No small matter, one Faculty of Medicine ‘seat’ was priced at Rp650 million.

Although the prospective student’s parents had deposited money according to the tariff, their child was still declared to have failed the independent selection. Feeling cheated, the parents demanded a full refund. Dian and Adhi, who received the pressure, then reported it to Norman.

To return the funds, Norman, with the knowledge of Rector Sodiq, borrowed money from a private party. They then collaborated with Sodiq’s nephew, Mulyono.

Mulyono’s company was subsequently awarded three Unsoed project packages, namely the procurement of a canopy, renovation of a canteen, and painting of a building. Payments for the three campus projects were then diverted to repay the Rp650 million loan.

For the second scheme, Rector Sodiq intervened directly. During the 2025–2026 new student admissions, Sodiq gave special instructions to Mulyono: ‘Don’t ask for it upfront’ and ‘If given, say thank you.’

This message was conveyed because Sodiq knew that there were parents of prospective students communicating with Mulyono regarding the handling of the independent admission pathway. Through this tactic, Mulyono succeeded in collecting alleged gratuities of up to Rp680 million. The money was then managed by Mulyono on Sodiq’s orders to pay off three plots of land purchased by the rector in Mulyono’s name.