Jakarta. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has detained Madiun Mayor Maidi and 14 other individuals in a sting operation over alleged kickbacks tied to government projects and corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds in East Java, an agency spokesperson said on Monday.

“This sting operation is suspected to be related to project fees and CSR funds in the City of Madiun,” KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo said in a statement.

Investigators seized hundreds of millions of rupiah in cash during the operation, though the exact amount is still being counted, he added.

Of the 15 people detained, nine — including Mayor Maidi — have been flown to Jakarta for further questioning at the KPK’s headquarters, known as the Red and White Building, in South Jakarta. The remaining individuals are still being processed in the region.

The nine detainees will undergo intensive questioning as the anti-graft body works to determine their legal status. Under Indonesian law, the KPK has 24 hours from the time of arrest to decide whether to name the suspects and formally announce the case details.

Maidi, a Gerindra Party member, currently serves as mayor of Madiun for the 2025–2030 term, having previously held the post from 2019 to 2024. Before entering electoral politics, he built a long career in the Madiun city administration, starting as a high school geography teacher in 1989 before rising through senior roles in the local education office, revenue agency and ultimately serving as city secretary from 2009 until 2018. 

This marks the KPK’s second sting operation so far this year. The anti-graft agency conducted its first operation of 2026, arresting eight people between Jan. 9 and 10. The case later led to the naming of five suspects in an alleged bribery scheme involving the reduction of corporate tax payments by nickel mining company Wanatiara Persada at the North Jakarta Medium Tax Office.