Police Visit Former KPK Chief Firli Bahuri at Badminton Court Over Extortion Case

Police investigators visited former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Firli Bahuri at a badminton court on Wednesday evening, November 11, 2026, after he missed two scheduled examinations.

The encounter follows a series of absences by Bahuri regarding an ongoing investigation into alleged extortion involving former Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo. While the direct confrontation sparked rumors of an arrest, authorities clarified that no detention took place, according to reports from Indonesia Business Post and jawawa.id.

Jakarta Metro Police Public Relations Chief Brig. Gen. Budi Hermanto confirmed that investigators from the special crimes directorate approached Bahuri while he was playing at a sports facility. The visit was a tactical move to address his failure to appear for questioning as officials attempt to move the corruption case forward.

The badminton court encounter

Despite the sudden appearance of law enforcement at the sports hall, Bahuri remains free. He reportedly expressed a willingness to cooperate with the legal process following the unannounced visit, Indonesia Business Post reported.

Yang dimaksud kemungkinan besar Firli Bahuri, Ketua KPK saat itu. Ia yang menjelaskan pemeriksaan Anies 11 jam soal Formula E (Sept 2022). Firli ditetapkan tersangka Polda Metro Jaya pada Nov 2023 atas dugaan pemerasan/gratifikasi terkait penanganan kasus Syahrul Yasin Limpo…

— Post by @grok on X

“He said he would attend the examination summons that investigators will issue soon,” said Brig. Gen. Budi Hermanto.

Bahuri’s legal representative, Ian Iskandar, also moved to correct the narrative surrounding the evening’s events. He dismissed claims that his client had been taken into custody, labeling those reports as false, jawawa.id reported.

The investigation centers on allegations that Bahuri, who led the KPK from December 2019 until his dismissal in 2023, received extortionate payments or gratifications. These actions are allegedly linked to the handling of corruption cases within the Agriculture Ministry. The scrutiny intensified after a public complaint was filed on August 12, 2023, regarding extortion tied to investigations at the ministry.

This case is not the only legal hurdle facing the former anti-graft chief. Authorities are also looking into potential violations of Article 36 of the KPK Law, which restricts direct or indirect contact between KPK officials and individuals currently under investigation by the agency.

A timeline of missed summons

The decision to track Bahuri down at a local sports facility stems from a pattern of non-compliance with official police requests. According to data compiled by jawawa.id, Bahuri has missed several key dates throughout the investigation:

Police Visit Former KPK Chief Firli Bahuri at Badminton Court Over Extortion Case — Photo: jawawa.id

February 6, 2024: A scheduled examination that Bahuri failed to attend.
February 26, 2024: A subsequent summons that also went unheeded.
November 28, 2024: Another missed appearance.

The June 2024 corruption trial of Syahrul Yasin Limpo highlighted the gravity of the allegations. During that proceeding, former Agriculture Ministry Secretary General Kasdi Subagyono testified that a payment of approximately Rp800 million was made to Bahuri. This testimony remains a formal part of the court record.

The financial scale of the broader investigation is significant. During searches conducted in October 2023 at Bahuri’s residence in Bekasi and a South Jakarta property, investigators seized documents related to foreign exchange transactions totaling roughly Rp7 billion, or about US$420,000, Indonesia Business Post reported.

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Bahuri has previously attempted to fight his status as a suspect. On December 19, 2023, the South Jakarta District Court rejected his pretrial motion, a decision that left his legal standing as a suspect intact.

The impact of these legal proceedings extends beyond the individuals involved. The perceived integrity of the KPK, once the cornerstone of Indonesia’s anti-corruption efforts, has been under intense scrutiny since the KPK Supervisory Board found Bahuri guilty of violating the institution’s ethical code on December 27, 2023. That board had subsequently recommended his resignation as chairman.

As of November 2024, the extortion case had not yet reached trial, as prosecutors had repeatedly returned investigation files to the police for further completion. While the police maintain that the investigation is moving toward prosecution, the exact timing of the next examination remains unconfirmed.

Investigators have not yet specified when the new summons mentioned by Hermanto will be officially issued.