Indonesia’s Anti-Graft Agency Schedules Questioning of Bengkulu Council Leaders

Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission, known as the KPK, has summoned the speaker and deputy speaker of the Bengkulu City Council as witnesses in an expanding procurement bribery investigation.

Herimanto and Rahmad Widodo were scheduled to be questioned at the KPK's headquarters in Jakarta. KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo said investigators would question them in connection with the investigation into alleged bribery in procurement projects at the Rejang Lebong regency government and elsewhere in Bengkulu province.

The questioning follows the examination of Bengkulu council member Bambang Hermanto on Sept. 4. Investigators asked him about the planning and approval of budgets for projects in Bengkulu City, as well as alleged money he received. The KPK also questioned council member Vinna Ledy Anggraheni on Aug. 4 and 10 about her knowledge of procurement projects in the city.

The agency said it would analyze and cross-check witness statements with other testimony and evidence from searches. It has seized a luxury house in South Jakarta and a car belonging to Vinna Ledy, who the KPK suspects received money from projects carried out by the Bengkulu City Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency and private parties.

Investigators found and seized 4 billion rupiah during a search of the home of the head of the Bengkulu City Public Works agency. The case developed from an alleged project-bribery scheme in Rejang Lebong during the 2025-2026 budget years. Rejang Lebong Regent Muhammad Fikri Thobari is among the suspects, and the KPK says a private-sector party in that case may also have been involved in bribery in Bengkulu City.

The KPK is using a general investigation warrant, meaning suspects will be identified and designated as the investigation proceeds.

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Today investigators have scheduled questioning for witnesses RW and HRM, both of whom are members of the Bengkulu City Council.