KPK: Fadia Arafiq claims lack of government knowledge in corruption probe
Thekabarnews.com—The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) of Indonesia said that Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq (FAR) claimed she did not comprehend the regulations that govern the region. She...
Thekabarnews.com—The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) of Indonesia said that Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq (FAR) claimed she did not comprehend the regulations that govern the region. She said this was because of her background as a dangdut musician.
After questioning Fadia after a sting operation (OTT) on March 2 and 3, investigators made the statement. The operation pertains to a purported corruption scheme that involves procurement projects within the Pekalongan Regency Administration (Pemkab Pekalongan).
KPK’s Deputy for Enforcement and Execution, Asep Guntur Rahayu, claimed that detectives looked very closely at the proposal.
“FAR said during the interrogation that she came from a background as a dangdut artist, not a bureaucrat; thus, she does not know how to follow the laws and rules of regional governance,” Asep said this on Wednesday, March 4.
The anti-corruption body, however, stated that Fadia’s response was insufficient as a justification.
Asep said that the Pekalongan Regional Secretary, Mohammad Yulian Akbar, had cautioned Fadia many times about the possible conflict of interest that could come up with the claimed plot. However, investigators think the practice went on even after these warnings.
The KPK says that Fadia helped Mukhtaruddin Ashraff Abu and Muhammad Sabiq Ashraff start a business called PT Raja Nusantara Berjaya (RNB). According to the KPK, investigators think that the Pekalongan regional administration gave the corporation special treatment when it came to buying things.
“In the meantime, even when other companies made lower bids, regional officials were allegedly told to make sure that ‘the Regent’s company’ obtained the contracts,” Asep noted.
PT RNB was the main company that handled outsourcing procurement contracts for many government entities in Pekalongan Regency in 2025.
The KPK said that the company got contracts worth about Rp46 billion between 2023 and 2026. From these contracts, investigators estimate that Fadia’s family received roughly Rp19 billion.
Prosecutors have charged Fadia under Article 12 letter i and Article 12B of Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Law, as well as Article 127 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. The KPK has imprisoned her for 20 days as part of the ongoing investigation.
However, Fadia said authorities did not catch her in a sting operation with direct evidence.
“KPK did not catch me in a sting operation. They took nothing from me, and when they arrested me, they did not check my residence,” she claimed.
Investigators continue to probe the money involved. In addition, they continue to look into the procurement process for the case, according to the KPK.
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