Unsoed Rector Extortion Case Leaves Heads Shaking

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Universitas Soedirman (Unsoed) Rector Akhmad Sodiq and Vice Rector III for Student Affairs Norman Arie Prayogo as suspects in an extortion case involving new student admissions. The total amount received was Rp1.12 billion from prospective students. In addition to the two university officials, the KPK has also named four other individuals as suspects. The six suspects are: Akhmad Sodiq, Rector of Unsoed; Norman Arie Prayoga, Vice Rector III of Unsoed; Eko Sumanto, Head of Academic Affairs at Unsoed; Dian Mulia Wardhana, a private party; Adhi Wiharto, a private party; and Mulyono, a private party. The KPK suspects the practice has been ongoing for a long time, though investigators have so far documented cases from 2025 to 2026. Akhmad Sodiq was arrested in a sting operation on Thursday (20/8) in Jakarta, while his vice rector was detained in Purwokerto.

Plt Director of Investigation at the KPK Achmad Taufik Husein explained that in August 2026, Norman, as vice rector, ordered two intermediaries, Dian Mulia Wardhana and Adhi Wiharto, to set a price of Rp650 million for each prospective student at the Faculty of Medicine. Norman’s order was carried out by Dian and Adhi. ‘Both of them, as private parties, allegedly requested money from parents of prospective medical faculty students amounting to Rp650 million,’ Taufik said at a press conference at the KPK’s Merah Putih building in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Friday (21/8/2026). Despite the price being set, the prospective students were not given any guarantee of passing the independent selection process to enter Unsoed. Parents of the prospective students were unhappy after their children failed the selection and demanded their money back. However, the parents’ requests could not be fulfilled because the extorted money had already been used by the two intermediaries, Dian and Adhi, for personal purposes. Eventually, Norman borrowed money from Sodiq’s nephew, Mulyono, to repay the parents.

‘To repay the loan to the private party, NAP, through DMW, AW, and MYN, who is a private party as well as ASO’s nephew, promised to pay by disbursing three project packages within Unsoed, namely the procurement of canopies, renovation of the canteen, and painting of buildings,’ he said. ‘The work packages had been completed by a CV owned by MYN, and the payment disbursement was then transferred to the private party in question,’ he continued. Taufik also stated that in the 2025-2026 period, Sodiq’s side allegedly received other payments. These additional receipts reached Rp680 million, received through Mulyono from prospective students. The money was then used by Sodiq to purchase three plots of land, but the land was registered under Mulyono’s name. ‘Thus, in this case, MYN acted as the recipient and manager of funds intended for ASO,’ Taufik explained.

He also revealed that in the same year, Sodiq’s subordinate, Eko Sumanto, as Head of Academic Affairs at Unsoed, communicated with a collector. This collector accommodated a number of parents of prospective students who wanted their children to study at Unsoed. ‘In that communication, it was discovered that ES, with ASO’s knowledge, engaged in bargaining over a dowry with the collector in the independent admission process,’ Taufik said. ‘After agreeing on the dowry, ES then received money from one of the collectors of prospective students totalling Rp1.12 billion (2025-2026),’ he continued.

Taufik initially revealed that the extortion of prospective medical faculty students occurred in August 2026. At that time, Norman Arie Prayogo, with the knowledge of Akhmad Sodiq, and through two intermediaries, allegedly demanded Rp650 million from the parents of a prospective student. ‘Norman Arie Prayoga as Vice Rector III of Unsoed, with the knowledge of Ahmad Sodiq as Rector of Unsoed, through two intermediaries, namely Dian Mulia Wardhana and Adhi Wiharto, both private parties, allegedly requested money from parents of a prospective medical faculty student amounting to Rp650 million,’ Achmad Taufik said. Taufik said the parents agreed to the request. However, the prospective student ultimately still failed the selection. ‘The request was fulfilled by the parents of the prospective student. However, after the money was given to Dian Mulia Wardhana and Adhi Wiharto, their child was declared to have failed the new student selection,’ he said. Upon learning this, the parents demanded a refund. However, Dian and Adhi could not return the Rp650 million because it had already been used. ‘So the money that had been given by the parents had already been used by DMW and AW themselves,’ Taufik added. The two then informed Vice Rector Norman Arie Prayogo. Norman, with the permission of Rector Akhmad Sodiq, borrowed money from a private party to return the funds. ‘To repay the loan to the private party, NAP, through DMW, AW, and MYN, who is a private party as well as ASO’s nephew, promised to pay by disbursing three project packages within Unsoed, namely the procurement of canopies, renovation of the canteen, and painting of buildings,’ Taufik said.