JAKARTA, Literasi Hukum – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) revealed that the Regent of Pekalongan Fadia Arafiq admitted not understanding legal issues and regional government administration due to her background as a dangdut musician, not a bureaucrat. This statement was conveyed by the KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu during a press conference at the KPK Red and White Building, Wednesday (4/3/2026).

However, the KPK emphasized that this admission cannot be used as a justification. Asep referred to the principle of presumptio iures de iure (legal fiction) which, in principle, holds that everyone is presumed to know the law. The KPK also assessed that Fadia should have understood the principle of good governance, considering she had served two terms as regent and previously as vice regent.

KPK: Conflict of Interest Warnings Existed, But Practices Continued

The KPK stated that the Regional Secretary of Pekalongan Regency Mohammad Yulian Akbar and several parties had repeatedly warned of potential conflicts of interest in procurement within the Pekalongan Regency Government. Nevertheless, the practices questioned by the KPK were still suspected to have occurred.

In the context of prevention, the KPK stated that it would conduct coordination and supervision with the Pekalongan Regency Government to prevent similar practices from recurring in the procurement of goods/services.

Alleged Corruption Modus Operandi: Family Company Dominates Outsourcing

In the KPK's presentation, this case originated from the establishment of the company PT Raja Nusantara Berjaya (RNB) which was reportedly linked to Fadia's family. The KPK stated that PT RNB then actively participated in goods/services procurement within the Pekalongan Regency Government, especially the procurement of outsourcing services in various regional government units.

The KPK revealed that the company secured numerous work packages—including in regional government units and regional hospitals—with reported revenues reaching IDR 46 billion. Of this amount, the KPK stated that a portion was used for employee salaries, and another portion was allegedly channeled to the family.

One of the patterns highlighted by the KPK is the request for regional apparatuses to submit HPS (owner's estimate) to certain parties, so that company bids can be structured to approximate the HPS. The KPK considers such practices to potentially undermine fair competition and trigger losses for the state/region.

The KPK charged Fadia with articles under the Anti-Corruption Law and the Criminal Code (as stated in the case description), and carried out detention for investigative purposes.

On the other hand, in statements to the media, Fadia denied being 'caught in a sting operation' and stated that no evidence was seized from her during the arrest.

This news report is a synthesis of information from several credible sources to present a verified, comprehensive, and balanced report to readers.