Zulkarnain Willingly Financed a Land Cruiser to Secure Kuansing Regional Secretary Post
Kuantan Singingi Regional Secretary Zulkarnain willingly took out a loan for a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR-S SUV, valued at Rp2.05 billion, to secure his position. Zulkarnain even used the identity of Ardiles, Director of PT Mitra Ideal Consultant, for the credit application process, as his own financial profile did not meet the requirements to apply for a loan of that size.
Acting Director of Investigation at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Achmad Taufik Husein, stated that in April 2025, the Kuansing Regency Government opened a selection process for the Regional Secretary post. 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 said Regent Suhardiman Amby ‘requested’ a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR-S SUV from the candidates participating in the selection process. Ultimately, only Zulkarnain agreed to the demand and was subsequently selected as the Regional Secretary for the 2025 period. ‘To fulfil this request, ZKN [Zulkarnain] then purchased one unit of a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR-S SUV for Rp2.05 billion at a showroom located in the Greater Jakarta area,’ Taufik stated during a press conference in Jakarta. ‘The purchase was made on credit, with instalments of Rp46.5 million per month over a five-year tenor,’ he added.
Taufik further revealed that Zulkarnain had previously allegedly given a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Dakar worth Rp700 million to the Acting Regent during the appointment process for the Head of the Public Works Agency in 2021. That vehicle purchase was also made on credit, facilitated by Ardiles. The KPK suspects Ardiles assisted Zulkarnain in order 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 regional secretariat of Kuansing in 2025 and 2026 worth more than Rp966 million.
Taufik also disclosed that Suhardiman Amby and Zulkarnain were aware of the sting operation on 29 June 2026 and had fled. The KPK received information about a ‘party who picked up’ the regent, making his whereabouts unknown. Taufik noted that the regent’s associates also visited the dealership to cover up the trail of the vehicle used as a bribe instrument. ‘The regent’s efforts, upon learning that a team was monitoring him, involved securing the situation by visiting the showroom to erase traces of the car’s existence,’ Taufik explained.
Suhardiman, Zulkarnain, and Ardiles have been detained by the KPK for an initial 20-day period. In addition to the bribery allegations related to the position, Zulkarnain is also being processed for alleged other receipts concerning the release of Limited Production Forest areas. The KPK will further investigate this matter, including the alleged flow of funds to parties within the Ministry of Forestry.