KPK Arrests Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq in Semarang Corruption Sting

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq in Semarang, Central Java, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, as part of an ongoing investigation. The arrest included Arafiq’s aide and a trusted associate.

KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo confirmed the arrests took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning. “The individuals were secured in the Semarang area,” Prasetyo stated to reporters at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta. The three individuals were immediately transported to Jakarta for further questioning.

According to Prasetyo, those arrested include Fadia Arafiq, his aide, and a person of confidence. “The team secured three people, one of whom is the Regent of Pekalongan and two others who are trusted individuals and also aides to the Regent,” he said.

The KPK has a 24-hour window to determine the legal status of those detained during the operation, as stipulated by the Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP). As of Tuesday afternoon, all those arrested are considered suspects.

The arrest of Fadia Arafiq marks the seventh operation of its kind conducted by the KPK in 2026. Previous operations this year have targeted officials in connection with alleged bribery in tax audits, extortion related to mayoral and regental positions, and corruption involving import goods and land disputes.

Ahmad Doli Kurnia, Deputy Chairman of the Golkar Party, expressed concern over Arafiq’s arrest, urging all regional leaders to learn from the recent string of KPK operations. “We are extremely concerned about this incident. After a series of regional leaders being caught in KPK operations in recent months, regional leaders should take a lesson, be more careful, and not take policies that potentially violate the law,” Kurnia said.