Jakarta. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) alleged that Riau Governor Abdul Wahid repeatedly received money from an extortion scheme before his arrest in a sting operation earlier this week.

The agency said Monday’s operation in Riau secured roughly Rp1.6 billion (around US$97,000) in cash believed to be linked to kickbacks tied to provincial public works budgets.

“This was part of several earlier handovers. Before the sting, we believe there had been other payments,” KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo told reporters at the agency’s headquarters on Tuesday.

According to the KPK, the suspected extortion scheme involved the manipulation of additional budget allocations at the Riau Provincial Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency (PUPR). Investigators suspect two of Wahid’s close aides, identified as Tata Maulana and Deni M. Nursalam, demanded a percentage from certain project budget increases on behalf of the governor. Those requests allegedly began at the PUPR office level before being passed along to heads of technical operating units.

“It’s a quota system, a cut, a percentage expected for the regional head,” Budi said, describing the alleged modus operandi.

The KPK is currently questioning 10 people arrested during the sting in Riau. Those detained include the Riau PUPR agency chief Arif Setiawan, the agency secretary Ferry Yunanda, five technical unit heads, and Wahid’s two aides. Some of those questioned have now been named as suspects, officials said, following an internal case conference.

Budi declined to disclose the names of the suspects or clarify whether Wahid himself is among them. The KPK plans to release more detail at a press briefing on Wednesday.

In the operation, investigators confiscated Rp1.6 billion in cash in multiple denominations, which the KPK alleges came from repeated deliveries of illicit payments to the governor’s circle.

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