Prosecutors search Manggarai Barat KPU office in 2024 election grant probe

Labuan Bajo — Prosecutors in Manggarai Barat have searched the district General Elections Commission (KPU) office in Labuan Bajo as part of a corruption investigation into the management of regional grant funds for the 2024 local election.

The search took place on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, and was led by a team of investigators from the Manggarai Barat District Prosecutor’s Office (Kejari Manggarai Barat), according to statements reported by several local media outlets citing intelligence chief M. Ahega Wikantra.

The case concerns alleged irregularities in the use of grant funds allocated to the Manggarai Barat KPU for the 2024 election of the regent and deputy regent, with a total grant value of around Rp 28 billion, according to coverage by regional news sites.

Search follows upgrade to full investigation

Local reports state that prosecutors had previously raised the case from preliminary inquiry to full investigation based on an order issued by the head of the Manggarai Barat District Prosecutor’s Office on 31 August 2026.

Civil society group coverage and legal reporting on the case identify the investigation order as PRINT-316/N.3.24/Fd.2/08/2026, signed by the district chief prosecutor on that date.

According to statements attributed to Ahega Wikantra in regional media, the search was carried out under provisions of Indonesia’s criminal procedure law and followed approval from the head of the Labuan Bajo District Court.

Multiple rooms searched, documents seized

Investigators searched several parts of the KPU office in Labuan Bajo, including the commissioners’ room, the secretary’s room, the treasurer’s room, the administration room and the archives room, according to reports from local news outlets that covered the operation.

From these rooms, the team seized documents and other materials considered relevant to the investigation for further study. Ahega was quoted as saying that the documents and items would be examined, analyzed and evaluated by the investigative team to clarify the direction of the case.

Regional media reports say the search was conducted over several hours on the afternoon of 8 September, with investigators focusing on records and financial documents related to the management of the grant funding for the 2024 election.

Grant funding and status of the case

Earlier reporting by NTT-based outlets noted that the Manggarai Barat KPU received approximately Rp 28 billion in grant funds from the district budget for the administration of the 2024 regional election, and later returned part of the funds to the regional treasury after the election cycle.

Local media have reported that prosecutors are investigating possible misuse of the grant funds and have requested audits from oversight bodies to assess any potential financial loss to the state. At this stage, however, prosecutors have not publicly announced any suspects.

Statements from the prosecutor’s office carried by regional news outlets emphasize that the search of the KPU office is an investigative step within an ongoing corruption probe and does not in itself establish that any individual has committed a crime. Any findings from the seized documents would still need to be tested through Indonesia’s legal process.

Sources

• Detikcom regional Bali crime report on search of Manggarai Barat KPU office
• Floresa.co in-depth report on corruption probe into Rp 28 billion grant for Manggarai Barat KPU
• Selidikkasus.com article on calls for suspects to be named in Manggarai Barat KPU grant case
• Pos-Kupang (Tribun Network) regional report on Kejari Manggarai Barat search of KPU office