PURWOKERTO, thekabarnews.com—The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) apprehended 14 people, including Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (Unsoed) Rector Prof. Akhmad Sodiq, during an operation targeting alleged illicit payments in the university’s student admissions process.

KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo confirmed the sting operation (OTT) on Friday, August 21, 2026.

“During the operation, investigators caught individuals suspected of committing a corruption offense in the act,” Budi told reporters.

The KPK apprehended 12 people in Purwokerto, Central Java, and two others in Jakarta. Officers immediately transported the two people detained in Jakarta to the KPK’s Red and White Building for intensive questioning.

At the Banyumas Metropolitan Police headquarters, investigators initially questioned the 12 people apprehended in Purwokerto. By Friday, nine people were still providing information to KPK investigators, according to the agency’s preliminary account.

The KPK has not explained publicly whether it released the other five people, transferred them to another location or completed their questioning.

KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto confirmed that investigators had apprehended the Unsoed rector.

“There was also a rector,” Setyo told state news agency ANTARA in Jakarta.

Setyo also confirmed that investigators had caught Unsoed Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Noor Farid and Vice Rector for Student Affairs Prof. Norman Arie Prayogo in the operation.

Unsoed’s official records identify the three academics as members of the university leadership. The university officially installed Akhmad Sodiq for a second term as rector for the 2026–2030 period in May 2026.

KPK officials said the investigation involved alleged payments that state officials received during the admission of new students.

The KPK had not disclosed which admissions pathway, academic program or applicant group the investigation involved.

Investigators also seized hundreds of millions of rupiah in cash. The KPK had not disclosed the exact amount, named the alleged recipients or identified the suspected source of the money when this report was prepared.

“It means a transaction had already taken place when new students were opening the gate to the campus—a gate that should serve as an entrance to their aspirations and the nation’s future,” Budi said.

Unsoed operates several admission routes for undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and medical-specialist programs.

The university’s registration portal lists multiple admission and registration periods in 2026, but the KPK had not identified which route the inquiry involved.

The KPK had not announced formal suspects or detailed criminal allegations at the time of writing. Under the presumption of innocence, apprehension and questioning during an OTT do not by themselves establish guilt.

Unsoed and the three university officials had not publicly addressed the specific allegations when this report was prepared.

The KPK will announce the case status after investigators complete their initial examinations and review the evidence.

The KPK had not yet released detailed information about the operation when this article was completed. Names, totals and quotations should be checked again against the agency’s forthcoming official announcement before publication.