Once he knew that the Regent of Kuansing gave an envelope, the KPK said that the Menhut Raja Juli should have reported gratification.

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that the Minister of Forestry (Menhut) Raja Juli Antoni should have immediately reported the envelope from the Regent of Kuantan Singingi (Kuansing) Suhardiman Amby. He should be aware of his obligations when receiving gifts from others.

This was conveyed by the acting (Plt) Director of KPK Investigation Achmad Taufik Husein when asked about the return of an envelope containing money allegedly by Raja Juli to Suhardiman before the arrest operation (OTT) last week.

"Yes, it should be the awareness of the PN party (to report gratification, ed)," Taufik told reporters quoted on Monday, July 6.

Taufik said there were rules and regulations regarding the reporting of gratification receipts. "That is, please PN itself should already know the things that are his obligation," he said.

Furthermore, Taufik said, the return of the envelope also did not mean removing the crime. The investigator is said to continue to deepen because he has already obtained a confession from Suhardiman regarding the gift.

"The return does not remove the crime, yes. But to what extent the return is a fact that was originally constructed that the regent took care of the recommendation to the ministry, yes, it will be investigated by the investigation team later," he said.

"Just wait ... this is just the beginning of the investigation," he continued.

Raja Juli previously denied having any connection with the alleged corruption in the management of forest area release in Kuantan Singingi Regency which ensnared Suhardiman Amby. His claim, there is not a single forest area release decision letter in the region.

Even so, he admitted that the Regent of Kuansing Suhardiman Amby had left a sealed envelope after the audience at the Ministry of Forestry on June 2, 2026.

"In the meeting, it turned out that the Regent of Kuantan Singingi left an envelope sealed with a map. And when he left I just realized it and I immediately asked my aide to return the envelope. I don't know what it contains, but I feel I don't have a right to the envelope," said the politician.

Raja Juli then ordered his aide to return the envelope on June 5, 2026. However, the plan was delayed because his aide had to accompany him in the agenda of the service.

"I only have one aide. I said 'Mba will leave on Friday, that's June 5. But it turns out that June 5 can't be because my aide has to stick with me to help me. Because on June 5 I met Jamdatun in another matter at the Directorate General of PHL. Finally I said that next Friday is June 12," he said.

Furthermore, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Forestry then issued a letter of assignment to his aide on June 11, 2026. In addition, Raja Juli admitted that he contacted the Riau Police Chief to help bring his aide and the Regent of Kuansing together.

"I personally called the Riau Police Chief to help facilitate my aide to meet with the Regent of Kuantan Singingi at the Kuantan Singingi Police," said Raja Juli.

The return of the envelope, he said, was finally carried out on June 12, 2026 at the Kuantan Singingi Police and was documented and accompanied by a receipt.

"So Friday the 12th, about 17 days before OTT, my aide had returned the white envelope to the Regent of Kuantan Singingi, there was a sign of acceptance, there was a photo. So as my moral responsibility, my public responsibility, as the leader here we have returned the envelope left by the Regent during the audience," he concluded.